


Nishikino

by Aaronmizuno



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Awkwardness, Developing Relationship, F/F, Female Characters, Female Homosexuality, Female Relationships, Female-Centric, Implied Sexual Content, Insomnia, Long, Maki is a trainwreck, Mild Language, Nishikino Maki-centric, Pre-Series, Retelling, Sexual Tension, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 21:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 201,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12284796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronmizuno/pseuds/Aaronmizuno
Summary: Who needs sleep when there's so much to do?How would you balance dignity if it's at the cost of happiness?A prequel/retelling/post-story exploring Nishikino Maki's life.Tags will be added as they become relevant. This is going to be a long ride with an unstable update schedule.Primary ship will be MakixNico that kicks into gear in Chapter 5.It's worth the wait.





	1. Setting the Stage

**Grandmother**

   
“Keeheehee!”  
  
Peals of laughter, punctuated by giggles, the occasional snort, and a tumbling of nonsensical notes banged out of a freshly delivered Bösendorfer grand piano filled the room. The cacophony all coming from a child barely capable of reaching the keys, even from her perch on her grandmother’s lap. Far past the concerns of appearances, the older woman beamed at the child’s experimental pokes and nonsensical slaps for three more rounds before giving into the desire to direct.  
  
“Like this, child,” she said conspiratorially, leaning in and guiding hands to placements too high for the child to see and with finger placements well beyond her capacity to reach.  
  
“I… are you sure this will be a suitable outlet?” questioned the child’s father, Kentaro Nishikino, adjusting his glasses to mask his raised brow and concerned lips, “I doubt she’d be able to sit still long enough to get anywhere meaningful…”

“Darling, she’s still a baby,” chided his partner, unabashed in her humor, “... and just think of how elegant our sitting room will be with such a beautiful instrument waiting for our beautiful little girl’s attentions?”

“Nadeshiko…” he complained, though his face softened, “Not everything is about aesthetics…”

“Of course it isn’t,” she replied, beaming at her daughter’s scrunched up features as she tried to follow her grandmother’s instructions, “... But a girl must have more than her studies if she’s going to be taken seriously, especially if the new guard of that Board of Directors is going to be any indication.”

“I fail to see how music is relevant…”

“It has been verified over and over that music has a profound effect on emotional stability, Kentaro-kun,” the older woman spoke up, “It is the respect that Nishikino General has paid to medical knowledge both conventional and spiritual that has allowed it to flourish as it has in both the local community and as an example to facilities of it’s like. I’m certain you haven’t forgotten this.”

“Of course not…”

“Then it’s decided,” the Nishikino matriarch continued, her eyes filled with victory and mischief, “As my contribution to the very earliest of my darling little Maki’s studies, I will begin her lessons personally until she can grow into this, whereupon I will have this delivered and a trusted friend of mine will resume her training.”

“Mother… ,” Nadeshiko Nishikino began, hiding her smile behind her hand, “Are you sure this isn’t just a way to steal my daughter away more often?”

The older woman blinked owlishly at her daughter, “That’s exactly what this is about, isn’t that obvious... ,” she paused, ruffling her fingers through the child’s bright red hair, “Though, you are absolutely right… she will be magnificent on the bench.”  
  
“Magnif’c’nt!,” Maki proclaimed, nuzzling her head upward into her grandmother’s hand.

* * *

 

**When You Wish Upon a Star**

 

“Maaaaaaki-cha~n,” Ms. Waki Moriya called out, her voice teasing and taunting at the same time, “I’m going to fi~nd you~.”

Barely restraining a squeal of excited anticipation, the five-year-old heiress scurried further behind the plant occupying the corner of the sitting room. Waki, the Nishikino family’s favorite among the latest round of aides and sitters being considered, continued to stalk the room with exaggerated steps. She maximized the drama with several pass-bys and reveled in the vibrating child’s anticipation.

Bright red hair and a nearly florescent blue sundress stands out pretty well against muted tan walls and dark green fern. Also, this is the third time in as many days that she’d used this spot.

After making a show of trying, Waki sighed dramatically, slumping at the shoulders and meandered into the hallway and down toward the kitchen. She had expected to hear shuffling and the excited pounding of little feet. Her charge was a brave and daring five-year-old that liked to keep an eye on who was “it.” What she hadn’t expected was for the first bar of “When You Wish Upon a Star” to sound from the room she’d just left.

“You cheeky little… ,” Waki had began, but stopped when she realized what those notes really meant. Instead of charging back to the room to catch the now giggling child, she simply stared at the sitting room’s entranceway.

“That child is really something else…”

* * *

 

**1st Year - Role Model**

 

“My name is Nishikino Maki. Please go easy on me!”

‘Nailed it,’ thought the three-weeks-from-7-year-old, doing her best to keep her eyes facing forward after stepping back in line and maintaining her smile. She’d only been practicing the phrase over and over in private over the past two weeks to make sure that this all-important first impression was exactly what she’d wanted.

Especially when over a week and a half of that practice had been stuttered, rushed, too slow, or any combination of the three. Why wasn’t talking as easy as piano?

Because of her birthday just barely keeping her out of school for most of her 6th year, she was taller than most of the kids in the lineup. This, paired with her Father’s insistence that this was the beginning of a very important time in her social development (made no less impactful by Mama’s chiding and encouragements to relax), had made the past month almost unbearable. Knowing that her parents were out in the audience, her father likely gauging every shift of balance between feet or restrained fidgeting, was enough motivation to stymie too much excess.

‘There’s so many people here. How many of them are going to be in my class? I hope I get to sit beside someone nice…’ she wondered idly, looking down the line instead of forward as curiosity overpowered her performance anxiety. Her smile faded as she rested her tongue between her teeth, the tip barely protruding from between her lips in an expression that often accompanied concentration, as she took in the names and faces of the children continued introducing themselves.

She caught herself as the introductions ended, resuming her forward-facing posture and probably overdoing it with the smile. One by one, the teachers introduced themselves, sharing their optimism for the new class and assurances that they would do their best to guide them into the future. She knew it was all probably just as rehearsed and repeated a response as her own greeting, but what they were saying just got her so excited!

When the tour of the building was about to begin and her guide, a tall 5th year with beautiful straight black hair cascading to the hem of her skirt and a mole on her chin named Ichizawa Kaori, introduced herself. It was taking all of Maki’s self control to keep from bouncing in place.

Ichizawa brushed a few stray hairs over her shoulder as she approached. Her smile was subtle, in the way that it carried more in her eyes than her mouth, ‘just like Mom!’ Her introduction and following, “You ready to go see the rest? C’mon,” sounded so calm, collected, and assured that Maki couldn’t help but put a little more reverence into her response.

“Yes please, senpai!”

Ichizawa led the young Nishikino out of the room as the adults stayed behind for the continued presentation. This was the part of the induction ceremony she’d been waiting for!

“It looks like most of the kids are starting outside, so let’s head to the top of the school and work our way down. It’ll let us avoid the crowd and we can set our own pace. You’re pretty energetic, aren’t you Nishikino?” Ichizawa said coolly, eyeing the tiny redhead who was craning her neck to peer through the window out onto the school grounds.

“This is exciting, but everyone was taking so long that it was starting to get boring,” Maki replied.

The taller girl snorted lightly, “Yeah it was. Wait until you’re stuck at your desk all day.”

“At least then I can read. It’s not really fun to stand around and have people look at you,” Maki admitted, making as serious a face as she could.

“Nishikino, people are always watching,” Ichizawa said, “You’ll always want to keep that in mind when presenting yourself. Get the hang of that, and you’ll have much more control over how others perceive you.”

“You’re pretty cool, aren’t you Ichizawa-senpai?”

The older girl’s smile deepened slightly as she only barely met Maki’s eyes, “I wonder…”

‘Definitely cool!’ Maki squealed internally.

* * *

**1st Year - Piano**

 

“That… was very impressive, Nishikino-chan. Have you ever considered participating in competitions?”

The teacher’s expression was a much-needed reprieve on the constant assault on her self-esteem. School had… not been as fun of a place as she’d expected. It turns out that the reputation of her parents was more of a scary bird on her shoulder instead of the badge of pride she’d originally expected.

Everyone acted so weird all the time! Like they were too nervous to talk to her. They’d be nice enough if she initiated a conversation, but if she didn’t… well...

It was kind of lonely.

“Not really,” she replied, feeling excited over the praise and hopeful that this would help bridge that gap, “I just really love the piano!”

Seeing her classmates’ impressed faces was really satisfying! Why hadn’t she tried this sooner?

“I’ll have to look into your eligibility, but there is a school-wide recital coming up next month and believe I’d like you to perform.”

“Really!?” she replied, her voice somehow raising over the surprised murmurs of her classmates.

“Absolutely. Meet me after class in the teacher’s lounge, but for now please take your seat. Ichinose-chan, it’s your turn.”  
  
Thrumming with excitement, Maki nodded encouragingly to her classmate as she passed. The other girl’s expression was an odd combination of confusion and annoyance, but even that couldn’t diminish this high.

\-------------------

“Uwaa! She was that impressed!?” Waki said, turning from the kitchen’s island counter to take in her charge’s proud smile.

“Yup!” Maki confirmed, “She said I was good as a **_sixth-year_ **!”

“I always told Maki-chan that she was amazing. Pull up a stool, we’re celebrating!”

“Waki-san!” Maki replied, starting to turn red as her hair, “I didn’t win or anything… the competition isn’t for a few weeks!”  
  
Waki returned from the fridge with one arm full and the other pointing to the seat across from the cutting board, “An invitation to compete is an honor in itself. It means they recognize your potential. Sit.”

The table’s counter was high and reaching the stool’s seat still a challenge for the young Nishikino, but her reward for the climb was a perfect view of Waki’s deft knifework, flashing through a thin tube of fresh mozzarella and a line of cherry tomatoes.

“You’ll have to make sure you bring the event details home as soon as possible so we can make sure your parents leave the space open in their schedule,” Waki continued, mincing a few basil leaves to sprinkle over a dash of olive oil, “I know I’ll want to be there.”

“Waki-san!” Maki cheered, “I’d really want you to be there. You’re the best.”

Waki finished layering the alternating tomato and cheese in the shape of a heart over the oil before sliding the plate over. “I do my best. Just like Maki-chan.”

Maki thanked and itadakimasu’d before gleefully tearing into the plate, earning a chuckle from Waki as she resumed dinner preparations.

 

\-------------------

“Maki-chan~ Come out and show Mama.”

She heard her mother outside and knew she should go immediately, but she couldn’t take her eyes away from the mirror. Magic was real and she was wearing it. Pure white frills and bows and puffs caught the breeze from the overhead fans. They dancing along with the stray red strands that weren’t bound in rose-adorned lace.

Unable to wait any longer, her mother entered the changing room and stopped at the look of wonder on her face. The moment broke, and in its wake came a surge of uncontrollable excitement. Maki met her mother’s eyes in the mirror and started opening and closing her mouth like a fish as she tried to find the words.

“Mama! Look! **_LOOK!_ ** This is amazing!”

Before Nadeshiko could reply, Maki bounced to her side and pointed at the lace binding her hair, “Mama! They put flowers in my hair! I can’t believe they put flowers up there!”

Maki buried her face in her mother’s skirt and all but screamed in excitement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this happy… and became certain that this was the first when she saw her Mama’s smile. Where this level of enthusiasm (and noise) would usually be tempered with warnings about embarrassing Papa, right now it looked like it was being echoed perfectly.

“Look! It’s got gloves! I’ll walk up, take them off, play, and put them back on. It’s gonna be so fancy!”

That got Nadeshiko over the edge. She laughed in the least dignified way Maki had ever seen.

“Ha! Mama snorts like me!”

\-------------------

“... and in second place, Nishikino Maki!”

The applause was thunderous to her ears. Much like orientation, it was hard to make out any details in the crowd, and the sheer number of moving bodies made her nervous… but that nervousness hadn’t touched her during her performance.

Maki knew she had done well. When she sat at the piano and removed her gloves, the rest of the world just fell away. The looks on the faces of other students as she walked back had been all the confirmation she required. That alone, that she had impressed her senpais to that extent, was exciting.

This?

This was absolutely euphoric. To actually place in a competition with so many great players… it was astounding. Even the other students looked happy for her. Whatever stink-eye they had come in with after seeing the incredibly young competition had dissipated upon seeing the honest enthusiasm Maki showed in cheering for each and every one of them upon their return behind the curtain. Then they had heard her play and knew she wasn’t here just because of her name.

Maki was sure she would have made some lasting friends tonight if they were in her year. Now, after grinning all night long, her mouth was sore! She couldn’t stop smiling though. She honestly was about to burst as she thanked the announcer as he laid the award around her shoulders, a “medal” consisting of a bouquet of treated red roses ‘like my ribbon!!’ and a ribbon proclaiming, “Piano - Primary Division: 2nd Place.”

\-------------------

“Waki-san!!!” Maki squealed, kitten-heels clacking on the marble tile as she approached, “Did you see!? They liked me!”

“Of course they did! Did you hear yourself up there? I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t listened to you so much. I thought you were worried about stage fright!”

Maki grinned and admitted, “The lights were so bright that I couldn’t see anyone! So I just played for Mama, Papa, and Waki-san!”

“Well it worked. You were brilliant,” Waki replied after a pause.

“Is Papa stuck in the bathroom again?” Maki deadpanned.

“Pfft!” Waki pfft’ed, needing a moment before replying, “No, I’m sorry honey. Apparently they got called in again.”

“Aww. They missed out! This was a lot of fun!” Maki replied, hands on her hips and pouted, “Stupid hospital. Do you know if they’ll be back tonight?”

“They said they should be back by the time we are,” Waki replied, rechecking her phone.

“Alright!! I can’t wait to show them this,” Maki replied, thrusting her chest out proudly to accentuate the already quite noticeable award, “I still can’t believe it!”

It took longer than expected for the valet to bring the car around, which was fine because the two were kept plenty occupied. Pretty much every other competitor had sought Maki out to congratulate her and low-key scout her for their respective classes. Needless to say, Maki’s spirits were riding high. The ride home tested the vehicle’s shocks with how much the young redhead was bouncing in her seat. Her excitement spiking as they entered the lot and spotted her parents just entering the door.

“You go ahead in, Maki-chan. I’m going to go park the car.”

By the time Waki had finished saying the words, Maki was already halfway to the door, bounding up the stairs.

“Welcome home!!” Maki cried out upon entering, using the opposite greeting by accident out of habit. Her father, just settling into his recliner, hadn’t noticed the faux pas. He was too busy suddenly having his hands full of supernova hyper-energy Maki-daugher-person.

Nadeshiko, laughed at the display, carrying both of their coats out of the room. Maki, having released her father’s neck from her death-grip hug, was bouncing in place, patting his knees as she said, “You should have seen it! The lights were so bright and there were so many people! I played really good, too!”

“I bet you did. That’s my Maki-chan. What’s this?” He replied, pointing to the award around her neck.

She carefully raised the bouquet from her chest to give a better view and read the ribbon from memory, “Piano - Primary Division: 2nd Place. Pretty cool, huh?”

“Aww, you didn’t get first?” he replied, looking a little out of it.

“Oh no, Maki-chan lost?” her mother added, coming in at the sound of sympathy in her husband’s voice, “Oh honey, it’s alright. That’s too bad, but don’t worry. You’re still the smartest girl in the school. That’s a lot better than winning at piano.”  
  
Maki had gone still at her father’s words. At her mother’s, her eyes went wide and her expression confused, “Huh? No, but look, I,” Maki had began.

“That’s right,” her father interjected, a hint of alcohol on his breath, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t play the piano, as long as you study hard. Just a first year and your cram school scores are already in the national ranking! That’s really impressive, Maki. We couldn’t be more proud.”

“..."

"Thank you, Papa. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely... always make you proud,” Maki replied, her fist clenched tight over the bottom of the rose bouquet.

Nadeshiko walked to her side and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheeks and nuzzling her nose onto hers, the smell of alcohol much stronger. “You’ve had a very busy day. Would you like Mama to tuck you in.”

Maki nodded, wondering what drinking had to do with being called in. She let her mother lead her to her room as a whirlwind of increasingly dark thoughts churned her stomach. She went through the motions of changing, uncertain how to feel as her mother praised her as she had done before.

“Oh, that’s so pretty,” her mother whispered at the award still clutched in her daughter’s hands, “Can Mama see?”

Maki obliged, and her mother stared at it for a long moment. She met her daughter’s eyes and then looked at the award again.

“Maki-chan… you said this was a school-wide competition, right?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“I thought I heard you say you lost…”

“Papa said it was a shame I didn’t get first.”

Another long pause stifled the air. Nadeshiko walked to the bed, sat, and patted the space beside her. Maki obliged, still having to climb to reach the top. The effort was somewhat wasted as her mother picked her up to sit on her lap, arms encircling her from behind with the now-crumpled award being held front and center.

“Maki-chan came home very happy, didn’t she?”

“... yeah…”

“You know how impressive this is.”

Maki lost her words and most of her vision as she barely managed a nod.

“Papa’s kind of a dumbass, sometimes.”

“PFFT!” Waki pffted from the doorway.

Maki’s eyes went wider than they’d ever managed. She looked up at her mother, to the door at Waki, and back up to her mother.

“Waki-san, could you look into ways to preserve this? I trust you took pictures of my little girl’s big night?”

“Absolutely. You really missed out, you know?”

“Ugh, that man can be the worst sometimes… but the Board is even worse. Crusty old assholes.”

“Mama!” Maki wobbled, her face almost comedically whiplashed between relief and shock.

“Mama is very, very proud of you. We’ll have to find something more substantial than this to reward you, especially since Mama and Papa kinda fucked up your moment.”

“Ma’am, you might still be a little tipsy.”

“Thank you for your discretion, Waki-san,” Nadeshiko said, smiling and failing to wink, “and for taking care of my little princess.”

“It’s my genuine pleasure, though… I would like to talk to you later. Several people at the event would like access to your daughter’s talents,” Waki said, leaning on the doorframe and fanning out half-a-dozen business cards.

Maki, by now, was completely lost. Happy, but physically and emotionally exhausted. She managed to turn enough so that she could hug onto her mother and tuned out of the conversation. For the moment, she could rest easy knowing that her music wouldn’t be taken away anytime soon.

 

* * *

**5th Year - Overload**

 

“I’m home,” Maki managed to choke out, her eyes burning and her chest tight.

“Welcome home~” Waki cheerily called in reply.

‘Dammit…’ Maki winced, having hoped to return to an empty house. She shuffled out of her shoes and padded swiftly to her room, her hand clasped to her head, ensuring that the motion didn’t dislodge her earbuds.

Desperately, she clawed at the door knob. Her bag dropped and whatever pretense of control she’d held on to was forgotten. She’d barely made it to her bed before doubling over, shoulders wracked with sobbing. Her eyes were clenched tight, but the tears flowed freely now as the track looped back to the beginning.

“Travel to… the moon...”

Teeth now bared, she pulled a pillow to her chest and wrapped around it, desperate to hold onto something. Maybe, just maybe, if she hugged it hard enough it could fill the wretched void where her heart used to be.

“No need… to cry…”

Maki rolled over, burying her face in the comforter because she had to wipe her tears somehow. Her face burned with shame and frustration at her lack of control. Her sobs melted into a low growl as she latched onto the shame and kindled it into rage at her state. Suddenly, the pillow’s presence was intolerable, so she hurled it at the wall as her growl surged louder.

The earbuds fell out.

The spell was broken… and she only realized as much when she noticed her desperate fervor in untangling the cords to resume what must have been her thirteenth replay of Trapnest’s “A Little Pain.”

Maki sat up straight, staring at the headset in wonder, her chest still hollowed out and her eyes aching. She fell backwards, flopping onto the covers and staring at the canopy. Hearing now only whispers of the song that had so wrecked her granting a measure of perspective.

After about a minute, she’d come down enough for her breathing to level out. “What the hell…” she muttered, fumbling with her phone and pausing the track. If she didn’t have an image to maintain, she would owe Saki a throttling for suggesting that she look the group up. She’d been moved by music before, but this was ridiculous.

“Why would I get so worked up over love songs when… “

‘When no one’s ever been in love with you,’ her thoughts finished. Now her stupid vision was blurring up with stupid tears again.

She flopped over again, pulled her phone back to her and restarted the track.

Her voice was so beautiful… and the music was so dramatic. If a song about love could elicit such intense feelings in someone who had never fallen for anyone… how strong would the real deal be?

The thought was… intimidating.

Still… what would it feel like to have someone waiting for you… or be the one waiting? Not having a name or a face to tie to this yearning was awful. It felt like it de-legitimized the whole experience.

‘It’s like I’m a phoney just for feeling. This is so stupid.’

Stupid or not, Maki put the headphones back on and completely failed to focus on the musical composition as she’d intended.

 

* * *

**7th Year - Omine Makoto**

 

“Goooood morning, Maki-chan~”

“Omine, good morning,” Maki replied, looking up from her notepad covered with scrawled bars and transition notes. Normally, this kind of interruption mid-notation would scatter her thoughts and irritate her to no end.

“Ooh, is Maki-chan feeling inspired this morning?”

Omine, for all the social cues she missed, always managed to stay on point when it came to Maki.

“I am,” Maki began before a barely subdued torrent began, “Last night I tracked down a download for the entirety of last year’s Kalafina limited release tour album. They only printed 500 and most of the uploaded content was just for the exclusive bonus tracks. Well, it finished torrenting this morning and I listened to it on the way in. It had this entirely orchestral interlude inserted in the middle of “Lament My Heart” that was… breathtaking.”

Omine, who had claimed the seat in front of her, was now leaning fully on her desk. Her fingers raked through her hair as she tapped the notepad, “So, is this something you’re writing because it made you feel something?”

Maki, for a moment, had lost her words. Her eyes were locked on Omine’s fingers. The way the hair fell on her face. The angle of her eyelashes and the light mascara that cut such a stark contrast. Her lips pursed and shimmering as she tries to parse the musical language sloppily scrawled below.

“Maki-chan?”

“Sorry! No. This isn’t original. I’m not this advanced yet.”

“Eh?”

Maki sat up and stretched a little, taking the moment to breathe deep and fully re-establish the appearance of aloofness. “I wanted to see how much of it I could parse. Break it down into individual instruments and plot out the sequence by ear.”

“Wow. As expected of our Maki-chan… you’re doing this from memory!?”

Maki swallowed and looked to the side as she brushed the hair back from her left ear, revealing a small wireless earbud. Omine mock-gasped, earning a smirk from Maki as she winked and said, “Don’t tell anyone~”

“Maki-chan’s a bad influence.”

“Eh? What are you talking about? I don’t get you,” Maki said with a wink, totally getting her and feeling relief over the refocused topic.

The bell rang, the teacher entered, and protocol took over. With a subtle sigh, Maki stood and assumed her role as class rep. There was standing, bowing, and sitting. As the teacher took roll, Maki tried to refocus but kept finding her eyes locking onto a bit of Omine’s exposed neck and shoulder as she re-centered her hair-tie.

‘... Shit…’

 

\-------------------

 

Later that evening, after brushing her teeth, bidding Waki goodnight (another late night for her parents) and wearily plodding to her room, Maki finally felt it was safe enough to make some very personally relevant internet searches. Pajamas on, covers over, phone out. She stared at the blank search bar.

Did she really need to do this? Weren’t the words she wanted to type proof enough? Wasn’t the internet supposed to be a terrible place in general? Coarse, crude, and merciless. Did she want that kind of response to such an important question?

Meh. She already knew the answer anyway… so on to the obvious follow-up.

“What do I do if I’m a girl who likes girls.”

The internet continued to earn its reputation, and Maki did not sleep very well that night.

 

* * *

**8th Year - Real Magic**

 

“I’m home,” Maki called out, hurriedly shuffling out of her shoes. Her eyes were wide and her hair wild.

“Welcome home~” Waki cheerily called in reply, “You’re home early.”

“The cram test was embarrassingly easy. Barely worth showing up for… and besides, I’m feeling REALLY inspired today. I think I’ve got a good one!”

“Oh hoh~? Well, your parents called to say they’d be late… so I’d wager you have until 2:00 AM to wrap this up,” Waki replied, catching the younger girl’s excitement.

“Nice. If you don’t mind, could we do sandwiches for dinner?” Maki continued, entering the sitting room where Waki had just been… well... sitting and watching TV, waiting for her charge to come home. Maki had already swapped out her uniform’s top for a black Blast concert schedule T-shirt.

“That sounds good. The usual?” Waki replied, smirking at the girl’s immediate dropping of pretenses upon knowing her parents’ plans.

“You’re a life saver,” Maki affirmed, pulling her hair back and pulling several sheafs of paper from the piano’s bench. She plopped them messily on the stand and uncapped a pen before clamping down on it with her teeth. She set her phone to the side and hit record.

Immediately, a rich chorus of bass chords filled the air. The world around Maki had faded as she repeated the same sequence, ironing out the timing of the baseline melody she had stuck in her head since lunch. The notes held urgency, and the keys were battered mercilessly as Maki directed her feelings upon them.

Deep base, paced frantically. Rolling upon itself while building tension. A cresting wave of desperation and frustration. Music that slashed into the mind a picture of impending doom. The opening sequence, after a mere fifty halting iterations, had finally been woven together well enough for the scrawled notes in light pencil to receive the pen treatment.

Maki reveled in the sensation of the sharp ridges of the pen, left from hours of clenched teeth, digging into her thumb and forefinger. Her grip was so tight precisely to feel that sharpness. In the absence of the pen, she clamped onto her tongue as she scrawled, traced, and notated specific movements.

Pen back in mouth and phone tapped to record once more, she ran a completed playthrough and beyond. The cresting bass, promising a terrible end, was out-paced by the twinkling of an opposing force, dancing and racing around it’s impending doom. These were not notes of hope. Not just yet, but the surge of emotion behind it was electrifying. Her fingers ached as her feelings arced from her heart to the keys.

This was urgency and emergency. This was knowledge that the inevitable had to be stopped. This was the mad scramble of desperate heroes with the lives of everyone on the line, trying to find a way to overcome this impossibly large and overbearing force.

... It was also ridiculously complex. Now that she was forced with the reality of performing her imagined song… this was assuredly a two-person piece… a couple’s piano number! That was good! So much more could be woven together that way! She could edit it all together after the fact… play the danger and the savior side separately. Weave them together with editing software.

… But she wanted to play it herself. On the piano. Make two versions? She growled and rolled the pen between her teeth, digging even deeper into the plastic. Again from the beginning. Stronger. Harder. Lighter. Faster.

That number of sixteenth beats were too much to ask for, but they HAD to be there. The force required to convey the depth she wanted per keystroke was too high for that level of speed. She just wasn’t there yet. Looks like it’d be the Yamaha afterall.

Maki stood and pulled at her hair, growling even harder as she stomped over to the closet, procuring the electric keyboard. It was set up in near record time before the poor thing shuddered under a run through while Maki recalibrated her strength to match the much gentler instrument.

Better, but only because of functionality. It didn’t FEEL as good. She wanted to carve into mountains with these fingers. She wanted to feel the resonating pulse of the strings being slammed into submission… but for now, she moved toward speed. That’s right. The heroes would need to be fast if this dramatic suicide mission wasn’t going to be for naught. It required a light touch. She had to just… get that across with the notes.

Thirty-three iterations later, she had a workable first half. It was so tempting to break into the other instruments that the Yamaha afforded her, but for now it was grand piano all the way. Had to get the basics down before getting fancy. She had just finished inking in the last of the confirmed draft when she felt Waki’s hand on her shoulder.

“Maki-chan, you should probably take a break. You’ve been at it for hours. Eat.”

“Hours? What time is i-... oh wow. Okay. Yeah. Thank you,” Maki replied, boggling at the clock’s readout of 10:45, “When did that happen?”

“Somewhere between the piano’s dying breath and the cries of your keyboard there,” Waki deadpanned, leaning back into the recliner and biting into her own late dinner.

“... Thanks for sticking around so late,” Maki said, picking up one of the three sandwiches sitting beside her, “You’re too good to me.”

“It’s alright. I brought along things to read, which was all I had planned for home tonight, and I get to enjoy a free performance. Besides, your kitchen’s better stocked.”

Maki snorted and bit in, “Mmm!”

“Oh, you finally noticed? God, you’re such an artist.”

Chicken and tomato with a pesto drizzle on toasted ciabatta. One of Nishikino Maki’s Seven Heavenly Treasures. “It’s so good!” Maki groaned, melting into her chair and taking another bigger bite.

“Yes, it is. I figured if they didn’t catch your attention you’d be back to work before you finished it all,” Waki chided, “I feel like your parents need to hire you your own caretaker. I stick around so late because I worry you’re going to work yourself to an early grave. You suck at self-care.”

Maki nearly choked from the burst of laughter, “Yeah, sorry. I thought it was only around 6:00!”

“This is what I’m talking about. You’re a really smart kid, but you really need to develop some better habits. You’re only 14. You shouldn’t consider going to bed at midnight turning in early!”

“Keep these coming and I’ll go to bed whenever you want!”

“And once you’re there you’d sleep?” Waki countered, eyebrow raised.

“... I make no promises,” Maki replied solemnly.

 

* * *

**9th Year - Boys**

 

“Great,” Maki muttered, finding the music room already filled with the school’s drama students. Without pausing, she continued down the hall, holding her bag tight to her hip and glaring forward, hoping to not meet eyes with…

“Nishikino-san! Hey. You’re still here?”

‘Double great,’ she thought, taking all of her self control to avoid cringing as a young man rounded the corner and locked eyes with her. “Yoshizora,” she replied, cool, calm, and in no way almost vibrating with irritation and anxiety, “I was just on my way out.”

“Come on, we’d really love it if you’d join us! You’d be the star of the show!”

Her finger had already caught her hair as social protocol had slowed her pace to an unwilling halt, “I’m sorry, I just don’t have the time.” Internally, she winced at the tell, desperately hoping he wouldn’t take the gesture as flirtatious… again.

“What’s the point of being so incredible if you don’t put that skill to use? Really, everyone would love to have you join. Half of us are just too nervous to talk to the Ice Princess of Nihonbashi, but…”

The anxious energy started to peak, her finger not releasing her hair and tugging hard enough to elicit pain, she knew she needed to wrap this up soon. With a voice that came out a bit sharper than intended, she really did hate that nickname, “I really need to be going. I’ve got cram courses in an hour. I’m sure you’ll do great without me.”

His expression fell a bit, striking an unwanted chord of sympathy in her heart. Unable to stop herself, she have him a reassuring smile, “I am looking forward to the performance. Can I count on you to pass my apologies to the others? I’m sure it would be fun, but I really am just too busy.”

Her smile didn’t falter as his own lit up, but she did bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying anything else. His parting words, filled with encouragement for her to do her best were met with a returned bow and an encouragement for him to do the same. You had to be polite when dealing with the son of a local medical supply distribution company that your Father’s hospital did business with. The entire school was a minefield of such contacts.

It wasn’t until she had swapped shoes and closed her locker that she let her face relax. There was no one else in her aisle, so she let herself press her forehead against the locker’s grate and sighed, “Just a few more months.” The relief of a new start and the dread of what that start would entail weighed her further against the grate.

She made sure her bangs covered the red marks the grate left behind.

 

* * *

 

**9th Year - Options**

  
  
Some were good schools. Some were great schools. Some… well… they were schools. Every single one of them went on the list of of her preferred to be submitted for her parent’s approval. She hoped that the two common denominators wouldn’t be noticed, so of course one of them was the first thing Mama mentioned.

“Maki-chan… every one of these are all-girls schools. Is there a reason for that?”

Outwardly there was no response. She’d gotten pretty good at that, delaying her external reaction to internal duress. “A vital skill when dealing with patients,” Papa had praised. While the act was surprisingly exhausting, that praise had given her the strength to maintain.

Papa’s vocal gifts came to her rescue again as he replied in her stead, “An excellent idea and proof that your priorities are in the right place. I’m proud of you.”

“Eh?” Her mother replied, starting to look concerned, “Coexistence between genders will be a fact of life when she’s at the hospital. She should continue to familiarize herself with that and normalize the experience.”

“Boys of that age are rowdy. Lost to their hormones. I believe our daughter has recognized this and is bypassing that volatile period to focus fully on studies rather than be distracted by such things.”

“Like romance?” Nadeshiko suggested, eyebrow arched and voice sharp.

“That… is a good example,” Kentaro replied, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

“Maybe Papa has forgotten when he met Mama…”

“It’s the piano,” Maki blurted out, her outer cool completely blown in the face of something as monumentally inconceivable as her parents fighting, “All of them had.... quality instruments. It’s… romance has nothing to do with it.”

The silence that followed as the two stared at her was terrifying. All of Papa’s misplaced praise fell away along with the floor beneath her at the sound of, “Maki.”

“You remember what we talked about. Music is wonderful, and you’ve made your Grandmother very proud with your accomplishments, but you’re moving on to your tenth year. High school. It’s time that you put your studies first. Preparing for the medical field is a relentless, unforgiving path. You’ll need your focus.”

Her father continued, while her mother simply watched. She often did that. Watched her daughter’s face for any and all reactions while she interacted with her father. Having that scrutiny aimed at her with such critical topics in the air kept her shoulders tight. Anxious energy choked her voice and strangled her heart. She only watched her this closely when she was suspicious.

“Despite that being your criteria, you have a few very excellent schools listed here. The entrance exams won’t be easy… did you plan to test at all of them?”

“I… planned to submit to the top three. After consulting you.”

“Mm… you don’t need to trouble yourself with even that much. You’re a remarkable student with incredible credentials. I have no doubt that your first choice alone would suffice. Are these in any order?”

“Th-thank you. I was going to order them after getting your input,” Maki replied, continually accidentally meeting her Mother’s inquisitive gaze.

“So you’d be alright if we just chose for you?” he said, meaning every level of the question.

‘He’s looking for assertiveness…’ Maki realized before collecting her voice once more, “I’d like to not have to travel too far between home, school, and cram school. My current commute showed me how travel time really hampers momentum and I’d like to avoid that if possible.”

He looked pleased at the suggestion as she continued, rediscovering her practiced script, “I know that cost isn’t an issue, but I also am uncomfortable with inflated tuition for a suggested marginal superiority that isn’t reflected anywhere except for the pamphlet. That’s why I left several notable schools off the list.”

“I did make note of what equipment was available for music, but I have no intentions of letting it affect my studies. The piano isn’t really something that I study anymore. It’s for relaxation. I consider it an avenue of stress relief. I also have no intentions, as of now, in joining a club.”

Nadeshiko’s features finally softened at the admission.

“Maki-chan’s piano has become quite exquisite. I would be pained if she were to give it up entirely.”

Kentaro’s face also relaxed into a smile as he turned to his wife, “You’ve always loved the pairing of our daughter and music.”

“I like it, too,” Maki chimed in, earning tension-clearing laughs from both parents.

“Right then,” Kentaro said pulling one entry form from the collection and holding it to face Maki, “One of the schools you picked happens to be the one that I was going to suggest.”

He pressed the form on the tabletop between them and slid it across, “Your priorities are sensible. There is one that I couldn’t expect you to anticipate, which finds serendipity in this school.”

“Otonokizaka?” Maki said, surprise coloring her tone. It was one of the further of her options, past the station and closer to… ah…

“Part of what makes Nishikino General such a staple of the community is that its leadership is recognized by locals. We are one of them. By attending a school that is also so deeply rooted, you deepen your part in this connection. This will weigh heavily in the community’s acceptance of your eventual inheritance.”

“I’m not going to make this decision for you,” he said, while still holding onto the other options’ forms, “but yes, I would recommend Otonokizaka.”

It wasn’t often that there was this much passion in her father’s voice. Hell, it wasn’t often that the three of them were able to sit together like this… talking about a situation relevant to herself. While she had indeed added Otonokizaka as one of her preferred, it wasn’t highly preferred. As far as all-girl schools went in the area, it was small. It’s ratings weren’t strong in much outside of kendo and archery.

It also had a pair of alpaca on site, which was... kinda weird.

But… it did have a beautiful Shigeru Kawai grand piano in its music room and an A/V club equipped with a modest soundboard and computers for in-depth synthesizing. Also, again, it was an all-girls school. It met the two primary requirements for her secret personal high school plans. More importantly, it’s what her father wanted. There was no further point to debate over.

“Otonokizaka it is, then. Thank you for your help with this, Papa. Mama. I knew I could count on you.”

The smiles those simple words earned meant the world.

 

* * *

**9th Year - Omine Makoto**

 

“I… really wish I was going with you.”

The chill in the air had long overstayed its welcome. Somehow, Maki covered the momentary lapse of neutrality in her expression by readjusting her scarf. She still didn’t know how she was going to handle the separation. She didn’t even know how Omine could be so open and honest with her feelings. She sounded about as sad as Maki felt.

Maybe… if she really were brave…

“I wish you were too. I… hate this.”

There was too much to say. Even opening her mouth right now was a risk for too much to come out. Way too much. The water in her eyes could be explained away by the occasional icy gust that the elevated shrine endured, but the deep groove she was busy biting into her lip had to remain hidden under the scarf.

“You’re my closest friend.”

“You’re the clumsiest, most graceful person I know.”

“I would have never made it this far without you.”

“Your hair always smells so nice and your eyes are so pretty.”

“I can’t imagine what my life is going to be like without you being there.”

“You always made me feel like I’m a better person than I really am.”

“I’ve always wanted to tell you that I…”

None of the words came out. Maki couldn’t even think the last one aloud in her mind. One would lead to another, and to another, until she would spill all of her wretched self over someone who deserved so much better.

Someone who could make her happy.

“Otonoki won’t be so bad. You’ll see. I went to the elementary there and if any of my old friends is in your class, you’ll… be in good company.”

“Going to Otonokizaka isn’t what I mean,” Maki dared, “I’m no good with people besides you.”

‘Shit,’ Maki thought to herself, ‘I know she heard my voice crack…’

She had. It showed. Omine had never been strong at keeping her emotions in check, and within moments she had thrown her arms around Maki and cranked the difficulty of the encounter to Maki Must Die mode.

“I don’t want to leave you either,” she sobbed, soaking Maki’s shoulder as others walked by, “I wanted to stay with Maki-chan forever…”

Did she even know how significant her words were? How heavy their implications? Just how deeply they struck home? No one could confuse her tears as a symptom of the wind anymore. She was holding her best friend who she was very certain she was in love with, had never told, and who was about to, very likely, disappear from her life.

“Omine…” was all Maki could manage before she buried her face in the other girl’s hair. The combination of tropical fruit was too festive for the moment, but she breathed deep regardless, shuddering with each release.

“Still just Omine to you… even to the end. That’s so like you Maki.”

So they held one another, mostly unmoving, neither willing to let go. As the minutes passed, the grief loosened its grip on her heart. The moment hadn’t ended, so maybe it could last forever. Something bittersweet turning into a comfort. From a comfort to all but a confirmation. Then, a moment where Omine went shock-solid still, right after Maki had allowed herself to hide a kiss to the top of her head while her nose was buried in hair. A moment where Maki was sure her own heart would stop.

Omine’s shoulders relaxed, and her embrace somehow both relaxed and grew tighter. The fact that nothing had exploded, no one was yelling, and Omine had not run away made the moment surreal. Dreamlike. As if there could be no consequences. One kiss became two, then five, then twenty. Each slow, affectionate, and hidden by hair and Maki’s hand making comforting circles which, to any onlookers, would appear to be just a friend comforting a sad friend.

When Omine finally pulled away, her face blotched with the aftermath of her tears, she stared at Maki. Dead in the eyes. Inquisitive, while knowing the answer… or so Maki surmised. Really, she had no way of knowing as the past twenty minutes of contact registered as real. While Omine had released the hug, her hand had found Maki’s and made no sign of letting go.

When she turned to leave, Maki allowed herself to be led from the shrine. Omine frequently turning to meet Maki’s, for once, unflinching gaze. They descended the stairs. They rounded some bends. She led Maki a few blocks from heavy foot traffic and stopped. She turned to face the redhead, finally releasing her hand and instead shifting her grip to her wrist.

Her eyes found Maki’s once more, and Maki gave in to the compulsion to reach up to her cheek. The street was unreasonably quiet. Maki moistened her lips, which was her backup for when hair twirling wasn’t possible. Omine leaned her face into Maki’s hand, her lips parted and closed again.

Somehow, the ache in Maki’s chest had subsided. She failed to stop her thumb from sliding over Omine’s soft cheek. The gesture led Omine to close her eyes and sigh.

“So you do understand,” Omine nearly whispered.

She moved Maki’s hand to cover her lips. Maki felt warmth and softness in her palm and her vision clouded again.

“Do you?” Maki replied, voice cracking.

Omine let go of Maki’s hand and stepped back. Her eyes were bright but her smile was blinding.

“Thank you, Maki-chan. For everything. You’re going to have an amazing time at Otonoki… and you’re going to deserve every moment of it.”

With that, Omine walked past Maki, back toward the shrine. Their fingers grazing as Maki continued staring ahead at where Omine had stood. A moment passed. A mother and her son passed on her right. He was talking about the latest Moon Ranger episode and pantomiming the attacks. Maki stepped to the concrete fence surrounding the building to her left. A couple of boys rounded the corner, rough housing.

‘Was that a rejection?’ Maki wondered, for the moment feeling nothing. Omine was no longer in sight. She turned her gaze to the clouds and watched her breath dissipate.

‘It didn’t feel like a rejection.’

It had felt like an acceptance. It had felt like she understood, and was even happy about it. Like, maybe, she even reciprocated. The thought stirred her heart with warmth.

‘This is more than I could have hoped for. This… this should be enough…’

But it wasn’t.


	2. Welcome to Otonokizaka

‘Shit timing for another no-sleep night,’ Maki thought, picking at and realigning her bow for what must have been the thirtieth time this morning, ‘I probably should have made that a triple-shot…’

Any apprehension she might be feeling for this, her high school orientation, was lost in the wake of shoddy composition, a fading caffeine headache, and the haze of another night filled with glowing clock displays, remembered tropical scents, and the ghost of hair on her lips.

Ever since the day of the shrine, Omine had stopped answering her on Line. She never appeared online on any accounts. She hadn’t responded to a single email.

‘Dammit,’ Maki growled wordlessly at the unwelcome surge of emotion, ‘New school. New year. New start.’

She was off to a marvelous start. The agitation that had only shown for a moment happened to be the same moment that a girl who wore the same uniform she was had looked and waved her way. The other girl had quickly averted her gaze.

‘Get it together. Don’t blow this before you’ve even had a chance to start.’

The other girl had been wearing a ribbon the same color as her’s, which meant they were in the same year. She’d have to apologize later. Probably. Maybe. She had a friend who was chattering excitedly, oblivious to the other girl’s momentary discomfort. They were both pretty cute and since they were going the same way, they offered more dynamic scenery for her eyes to lock in on than the street or the houses along the way.

A curve in the road, a staircase, a bridge, another two inclined curves, and one last staircase. ‘My calves are gonna be amazing after a few months of this,’ Maki considered idly as she approached the top… and then there it was.

Most schools have photogenic entrances, and Otonokizaka was no exception. This wasn’t a “follow the fence until you get the open gate view” lead-in. Otonoki had some dramatic flair. The stairs leading to the street level with its gate gave the impression that school was literally rising from the earth, reaching for the sky. It’s emblem perfectly centered.

‘This is it. My last chance.’

The haze of sleep deprivation fell to the wayside as tension remembered how much it enjoyed gripping her heart. Dozens of girls clad in blue blazers and plaid skirts were milling their way to the entrance. Each and every one suddenly felt intimidating and… somehow more real than herself.

She shook it off and walked forward.

\-------------------

  
One. Class. She knew that this was a smaller school, but… it’s not like this was a super high-end exclusive academy with tremendously challenging entrance exams. She had barely needed to review the material for the school’s tests to breeze her way in. How was there only one class?

Worse, almost everyone here were alumni of the Otonikizaka Elementary School which had apparently closed the year after this class had graduated, absorbed into a nearby school system. Cliques were already established. Everyone already had friends. Even the homeroom teacher was from the elementary! Being an outsider in such an environment would be tough at first, but manageable. She could still make this work. She was smart, capable and, worst case scenario, she still had her looks to fall back on. Just so long as no one found out tha-

“We all already know each other, so introductions shouldn’t be… oh wait, it looks like there  _is_  one new student! Joining our class is Nishikino Maki. The same family of Nishikino General?”

‘Shit.’

“... Yes.”

“Wow! Well we’re very happy to have you with us! Go easy on us~”

“Please go easy on me as well,” Maki replied stoically, standing, bowing lightly toward the class, and sitting.

Staring forward, she heard the whispers begin. None of them directed her way. As the teacher was going over the weekly schedule and how it differed from the elementary, she caught a few familiar words swirling in the wind.

“Surprising.”

"-she doing here?"

"Be caref-"

It was happening again. The fresh start of her last chance was slipping away before she'd even had a chance to talk to anyone. She looked down to her notebook, a fresh one devoid of musical notation, earmarks, or highlighter smiles left from flirtatious former best friends who disappear with your heart. Nothing familiar except for the space continuing to develop around her. Even the teachers voice was falling away as her desk fell into a precipice and she died for all time. The end.

Okay, maybe that's being a little dramatic, but it sure felt that way. She felt the sharp pull on her hair before she'd realized her finger was twirling it again. She pulled tighter until she felt it would give way, letting the pain cut through the bubbling anxiety and keep her locked to reality. She had caught herself "hearing" things from the other students that were coming from her own fears instead of her ears. It was way too early in the year for this shit. If only she could keep her thoughts straight. Just forty-five minutes of undisturbed sleep would have helped prevent this, entirely internalized, meltdown.

The lack of mental clarity made it easy to keep a neutral face throughout the suddenly lonely mess that was homeroom. She managed to mostly keep her gaze fixed on the board or the teacher, though it did stray long enough to spot the familiar auburn-haired girl she'd accidentally scared earlier and her... ludicrously cute friend. Half the reason she'd kept her eyes aimed forward after that point was so she didn't get caught staring at the super petite tomboy clamoring all over her timid friend.

\-------------------

 

The rest of the day was an unfortunate blur. Maki replied when spoken to, but never spotted the right moment to insert herself into any of the conversations around her. She'd given up on trying a third of the way through the day. There was the slight benefit in that she'd buried her face in no less than seven fairly vivid daydreams. One of these inspired the baseline melody for a new song... and she knew exactly where to go to hash it out. While most of the others went out in search of clubs, social time with friends, or home, Maki made a beeline for the music room and the incomparable treasure within.

As inconceivable as it was, Otonokizaka had been gifted, by a particularly successful alumni, a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Grand. Less than 20 of these magnificent half-ton instruments were crafted, by hand, every year. This ebony-finished masterwork was the primary reason Otonoki had ended up on her short list. She would have happily sheared off a toe for a chance at spending an evening with one of these, "... and now it's just you and me. For three years."

She wiped her hands on her skirt, and trailed a finger along the top. It was closed, as it ought given the current inactivity, but not for long. Indulging in the thrill looking at the gold filigree logo inspired, she set to preparing it for play. It had been cared for despite obvious use. Every ding and groove that being present in a school had inflicted upon it had been touched up, but not sanded, "I bet a lot of people have loved you over the years."  
  
The keys revealed, she seated proper and let her fingers dance over the keys. It must have been tuned over the break. Encouraging.

"Oh hoh… you're so beautiful," she whispered.  
  
A few more exploratory bars led into a muscle memory indulgence of Chopin's Polonaise Militaire in A Major. The stress of the day melted away as she bobbed her head to the delightfully curt weave of rapid-fire notes. Her tongue peeked out again a smile relaxed into her cheeks. She actually started giggling at the crest a minute and a half in. It was such a relief that something had gone right that she couldn't help herself. She let the piece drift away after another minute and pulled out her notebook, pecking out the notes she'd daydreamed earlier and starting the soothing process of hashing the simple into the fully fleshed.

Unlike most of her personal pieces, this one would have vocals. It didn't wallow in the emotions she often mired herself in. This was a piece that took that melancholy and used it as a stepping stone to better things. She'd spent the break just letting herself sink deeper when she should have been looking forward. With this, she just might be able to take the negative connotation of love and return it to hope.

A failed love. A love that never got to be. A love that only met with pain… was still love... and for that feeling she was grateful. It should be celebrated.

The initial declaration was something simple. Pure. The breakdown... something a little more hip-hop in flow? Maybe just in the lyrics. Keep the music simple. Clear and honest. More so than she'd ever manage without... no, no, no. Keep it to the music. If it's worth thinking, put it there. If not, cast it out. Here, in the presence of this beautiful instrument that didn't know how to lie, she'd only speak the truth. Stupid little rules like that helped keep the ugly thoughts at bay.

At least one of her hopes for her high school life was going to work out.

 

\-------------------

 

The next day was better. Maki had managed a full night of sleep (having passed out immediately after getting home and waking up around 3:30 AM) and made it to school well-rested, well-fed, well-caffeinated.

She felt far more motivated to jump-start high school aspiration number one, which she was finally far enough along to admit to herself as, "Experience a genuine romantic relationship with a girl that includes (at a minimum) enjoyable conversations, hand-holding, confiding of dreams and fears, kissing and really any other expressions of physical affection (up to and including enthusiastic mutually enjoyable sexual relations) before graduating and being offered by her family to some random guy they thought would have an advantageous connection as a bargaining chip/breeding stock. At that point her only hope could be that the groom was gay and they could serve as each other’s cover or at least that he wouldn't be offended at the idea of artificial insemination because... just... just no.

'... Well there goes my good mood,' Maki thought, crossing her legs uncomfortably.

"Good morning, Nishikino-san!"

Maki nearly jumped in her seat at the sudden existence of another student. Her eyes locked to owner of the voice, who was apparently the fifth student to enter since she arrived, and managed a returned, "Good morning!"

After the fact, Maki remembered to smile. It held the other girl's attention long enough for her to recall her name (Ogawa Hanna) before the taller engaged in another conversation. While unfortunate, the other girls did notice the interaction... so there was that?

As the conversations continued, Maki kept her attention to the room instead of her notepad. Her new song could wait. She tuned in to the conversations as best she could without being too obvious and continued making mental notes of who was who and what they talked about. She even had some more call-out greetings that she returned. This was going well! All was not lost!

Sleepy eyes with the soothing rich voice and pink hair was Yoichi Miu. Tall with long dark hair, the attractive mole on her collar, a big-sister vibe, and a casual tone was Ogawa Hanna. Ridiculously, stupidly, unfairly cute with the awful verbal tick's name was Hoshizora Rin. Sporty and toned with the incredible jawline and a bag decked to the nines in Harajuku Lovers charms was Asai Eriko. Nervous and shy with the adorable cheeks that she'd scared the first day was Koizumi Hanayo... and so she went, doing her best to learn the names and remember some traits of her classmates.

Maki also learned that, while she was completely out of it yesterday, she had agreed to be class representative. So... yeah. Fun. ‘Thanks, "Sleepy Maki." Way to look out for the team. You can go sit in the corner with "Rage Fit," "Frustrated Liar," and "Stupid Sexy Thoughts" while "Responsibly Gets Things Done" over here continues to earn her name.’ 

 

\-------------------

 

As the day continued, “Stupid Sexy Thoughts” kept making herself known with additions and considerations for a list of potential interests that continued to distract from the early class schedule. She continually found her eyes wandering toward Hoshizora's rambunctious smile and bright eyes, though she was fairly certain that nine-out-of-ten of those times, those eyes were aimed at Koizumi. Maybe this was evidence that she wasn’t the only girl-liking girl on campus. Nowhere near conclusive, but she can't say she's ever seen them apart. Maybe they're just life-long friends?

Then there was the student council president. Tall, strong, proud, confident... stunningly beautiful. If Maki ever needed a distraction from her failure to establish any semblance of a love life, she could always look to the dreamy foreign charm of Ayase Eli and daydream for a while. Her second, a calming presence with a serene comforting smile, Toujou Nozomi, was rather impressive as well. If she didn't have the music room, she'd have considered volunteering for student council in a heartbeat if it meant getting close to the two of them. Maybe they'd both taking a liking to her. Maybe they'd boss her around a little, not that Nishikino Maki was one to take orders... but maybe once in a while...

"Ugh..." Maki groaned aloud, earning a few sympathy gazes around the classroom as they thought she was struggling with the immediate dive into algebraic formulas. ‘Nope. Sorry everyone. This was review from cram classes four years ago. Don't mind me. I'm just going to sit here and see if my face can match my hair because apparently being well-rested means even less impulse control.’

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it!” encouragingly whispered Chiura Nanami, brushing aside her short blue hair to wink Maki’s way.

“Thanks,” Maki sheepishly replied, trying to match Chiura’s smile.

 

\-------------------

 

“Ne, Koizumi,” Maki said, trying to keep her voice even and gentle despite this sort of thing doing it’s traditional “thing” of setting her anxiety on fire, “Do you have a moment?”

She squeaked.

Oh my God, she squeaks.

Her friend, Hoshizora, looked incredibly interested. Barely able to hold still as poor Koizumi seemed to be in the middle of imploding.

“It’s okay!” Maki said, in a soothing tone, somehow encouraged by the other’s meekness, “I just wanted to apologize for yesterday! I was thinking about something unpleasant and when I came to you looked startled. I was worried my face scared you…”

Hoshizora laughed and threw an arm around Koizumi, “Ha! I told you, Kayochin! You worry too much!”

“Rin-chan…”

Before Koizumi could continue, Hoshizora had leapt up and nearly headbutted Maki for how close their noses came, “I’m Hoshizora Rin. Just call me Rin, nyah~”

Wide eyed and heart suddenly shooting into grand prix mode, Maki replied, “… Alright. As long as you call me Maki.”

Behind Rin, Koizumi’s quiet voice called out, “I… didn’t think your face was scary. P-please call me Hanayo.”

“Or Kayochin!” Rin added exuberantly, flying back to her friend’s side and nuzzling cheeks with the blush factory.

It was so… so cute. Maki couldn’t help but smile as she knelt to match eye-level, “Which would you prefer?”

“Kayochin is fine. My friends call me that,” she confirmed.

“Kayochin it is. My… friends call me Maki too, so you should. Call me Maki that is.”

“Maki-chan’s awkward like Kayochin!”

Rin launched herself at Maki and Maki learned something very interesting that had somehow taken until her sixteenth year to discover. Sudden unexpected physical contact was… completely overwhelming.

Just a few hours earlier, Maki had been idly wondering what it’d be like to lock hands with, embrace, and even kiss the excitable Hoshizora. Now that she had the other girl nearly wrapped around her, with her own cheeks being nuzzled with such unrestrained affection, she had no idea what to do with her hands… or her arms… or apparently her legs as the two fell to the floor.

Hanayo, for just a moment, had shown a new face herself. She looked very cross at the display. So… there were deeper feelings at play here. One-sided? For the time being, that didn’t matter or even register because right now there was only a deeply welling panic to get loose.

“Gah! G-Get off!” Maki cried out on reflex, scooting away from a very confused (and disappointed) looking Rin. Not thinking, she just kept on scooting until the back of her head collided with the marker tray under the whiteboard. Lightning flashed across her vision. She rolled up, holding the back of her head and bit into her lower lip as hard as she could.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Maki heard herself say a few times before the stars started to fade, “You just startled me. I’m alright.”

Her vision was blurred when opened, apparently it hurt enough for her eyes to tear up. Both Rin and Hanayo were hovering nearby while Ogawa asked if she was okay and ran through a few obligatory questions and tested for a concussion. Somehow, there wasn’t one and Maki ended the brief checkup with a, “You’re pretty reliable Ogawa. You sure you don’t want to be class rep?”

“Ha! Not a chance. You’re welcome to it, and call me Hanna.”

“Maki. I could use a hand getting to the nurse’s office. My head is killing me.”

“We’ll do it,” Hanayo volunteered.

“Nya’m sorry, Maki-chan…” Rin added, looking forlorn.

“Thanks… and it’s alright.”

‘Ugh. Well… points for being pathetic, I guess?’

 

\-------------------

 

Rin and Hanayo hesitantly left Maki at the nurse’s office. It turned out that there had been a very, very slight laceration, so the nurse had insisted on Maki staying until it stopped, holding gauze in place over the wound. After downing a pair of painkillers, Maki had no arguments and meandered to one of the beds so she could close her eyes. There was only one other person in the room, a third-year from the look of the ribbon who was laying with an arm over her eyes.

Her head hurt too badly to break out her headphones, so when she overheard the soft notes of muffled sound she had to triple check her phone in confusion. A cursory glance at the bed on her right answered the question easily enough. The baseline was catchy and it was all she could really make out of the song. The girl, on the other hand, was surprisingly short with her hair done up with bright red ribbon in twin high-pigtails. The contrast looked good, but what surprised her was the makeup.

The third-year’s jawline was one of the sharpest, most defined Maki had ever seen… and it took a lot of looking to spot it. The other girl’s makeup to soften that incredible line was intense, and more impressive, looked entirely natural. Without the perfect profile offered by her raised chin and the white outlining afforded by the walls, curtains, and everything else in the damn room, she’d have never noticed it.

Why would anyone with a feature that incredible go to such lengths to hide it? Her entire aesthetic seemed centered around making her look as old as her height suggested. Whatever her reasoning, no amount of appearances could help her now. The frequent groaning, the shifting and hand pressing into her abdomen. Yeah, Maki could sympathize. Everyone in this school could.

‘Hang in there,’ Maki thought to herself as she tried to keep her own groaning to a minimum.

 

\-------------------

 

Maki had dozed for what felt like only a moment, but when she came to, the other girl was gone and there were only one and a half classes remaining. She waited out the half and returned when it wouldn’t be an inconvenience, thanking her two new potential friends with a smile and wrapping the day up before a swift room-cleaning and a jaunt to her newest and truest amour.

She’d spent the half-class drafting out lyrics to pair with her piano, plotting their own musical notation. As usual, the first draft didn’t flow as smoothly as she thought at all. Too many syllables, too much content. She needed to simplify. She needed to let the piano hold its own and provide support when the lyrics were to take precedence. This was hard, but definitely the next step in her musical development.

The eighth draft was stronger, but still needed to have some fat cut away. She resumed the beat, imagined the notes passing alongside the piano’s, found sympathy and precedence therein and made a few more notations before scribbling an entirely new sequence.

Ninth draft, no holds. A full run-through of the first half, vocals included. This was good, but her vocals were lacking. She restarted the from the top, this time taking a moment before to capture the mood. The feeling behind the song that her fingers couldn’t convey. This… this might do it. This might be it. She was so close that the emotions hit harder than expected. She didn’t need to reach far, especially after betraying them all day.

“Aishiteru Banzai…”

But it’s not betraying if you’re moving on. Omine had already moved on. She hadn’t looked back. She had the right idea. She’d accepted those feelings and continued forward. Maki… would do the same. She would take those feelings, thank them (and her), and let them push her forward.

She would… and she did. She claimed that feeling and sang it to the world. This was her farewell and a promise to keep moving forward. Her little magic spell to keep the beautiful parts of the pain and let it light the future.

… and as she wound down, she felt unexpectedly spent. Her vocal training was a little rusty. Her head hurt again… and her eyes were hot… ‘and… and what was the point of all of this? Papa could tell me any day that I had to quit altogether and I… I’d just do it. He’s right. This won’t help at all with the point of me even being here.’

‘I’m surprised he hasn’t already.’

‘What’ll be left of me once this is gone?’

Then Maki looked up.


	3. Start Dash

Then Honoka happened.

Maki not only recognized her from around the school, Kousaka had a bit of notoriety tied to her, but also from annual stops at Homura, the upperclassman’s family’s sweets shop. Part of being in the community meant interacting with the community. Homura was a staple and a point of pride to anyone in the area. Everyone in the family expected at least some of their sweets among yearly gifts.

She was just as bold as Maki remembered, but no memory could have prepared her for a full-on frontal assault… especially at such a vulnerable time, in a place she’d already taken for granted as safe.

She listened to her song, a very personal and private thing. Watched her as she went low. Barged in and… and then called her cute!? Everything after that was just a blur. Too much whiplash. Any one of those would have been difficult to deal with, but all at once?

‘God,’ Maki began thinking the moment she left the room.

‘Fucking,’ she continued as she rushed down the hall.

‘DAMMIT,’ she raged, slamming her fist into the wall as she entered the stairwell.

Her face burned and her head throbbed. It was bad enough that she lost her balance, slumping against the wall she’d just abused and sliding to the floor. Now her hand hurt too. A quick inspection showed light abrasions. Only a little blood.

“So lame…” Maki growled, frustrated at her less-than-stellar coping skills. As she raked her fingers through her hair, she caught the scab that had formed on a nail, accidentally tearing it. She glared at the offending piece, disgusted.

“What part of me would work as an idol, anyway?”

The hallway echoed with the sounds of someone running her way. Kousaka was probably on the move, and she didn’t seem to go anywhere slowly. Rather than get up, Maki scooted into the corner and watched the confident freight train blaze past. Honoka dashed down the stairs, blissfully unaware of Maki’s presence or her brooding glare.

“Fun first week,” Maki grumbled, slowly getting to her feet, “Let’s see what else you got.”

\-------------------

After a quick stop at the nurses for another round of painkillers, a return to the music room to get her bag that she’d left behind in her rush to escape, and dodging a close encounter with Kousaka and her friends, Maki was more than ready to return home.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. Cram school was back in session and she was already running behind. She bypassed her usual after-school Starbucks stop to make sure she was seated and ready well before the day’s main event. “The standard class regimen exists to mold you into someone worthy of being a citizen… but most of it is mere trivia and basics. The real bulk of education takes place at juku,” as her father used to like saying.

Maki understood his stance. She’d been attending since she’d started public education, initially balancing multiple different facilities and curriculums at a time. The skills she’d obtained in juku made public school more or less an exercise in tedium. It was exhausting, but the results spoke for themselves.

Oh, and today was she ever exhausted. One good night’s sleep couldn’t remedy weeks of sleep deficit. The painkillers were failing on almost every level as the earlier crack on her head joined forces with a caffeine spike slowly drilling into her eyes. Her hand was growing more agitated as the bruising settled into her knuckles… and worse, her heart ached terribly. Her eyes, primed for the tears she’d expected her song to set loose, now just burned.

She made a good show of it at least. Unlike Otonokizaka, she had no intention of making any friends here. It wasn’t that kind of juku. This was a cram grindhouse, where the only reason anyone attended was to have knowledge carved into their minds. The standoffish vibe she was assuredly putting out worked out to her advantage in an environment like this.

The curriculum wasted no time. Within the hour, she was already breaking into her biological chemistry textbook. Base terminology was quickly established to be paired with mathematical chemical equations to be explored later in the week. Times like now made Maki grateful that these facilities focused on rote memorization more often than interactive learning, regardless of effectiveness. She just didn’t have it in her to engage on that level.

By the time Maki arrived home, she swore she could hear the sound of her pulse shuddering in her ears. The house was, thankfully, empty. Her greeting home was a pair of sandwiches left on the counter with an encouraging note from Waki telling her to do her best. She smiled and eyed the container of instant coffee on the counter, weighing the benefit of headache relief with the cost of another nearly sleepless night.

Who was she kidding? A headache like this would have kept her up anyway.

She set a kettle as she stirred up a cup with warm water dispensed from the fridge. Coffee was the medicine, but tea might help calm her spirits afterwards. She munched a sandwich as she padded back the hall to the stairwell, picking up the pieces of her uniform she’d discarded along the way to the kitchen.

Maki considered her bed’s seductive call, but the kettle on the stove was sufficient ransom to keep her at bay. She discarded the rest of her outfit save her bottoms as she traced her finger over a series of records, sliding out the Oscar Peterson Trio’s single “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars” long enough to tap the English title into an app. Another button press set the house-wide speaker system to let fast-paced yet still wonderfully chill jazz fill the empty space.

She always imagined this was how wildly attractive musicians (her favorite mental picture featuring the slender lead vocalist of Blast) walked around their artistically disheveled studio apartments. It made her feel attractive and feeling attractive was a much-needed confidence boost after a day like this. Maki knew that she had at least until 3:00 AM before her parents would be back, so there was little risk in emulating her imagined…

Idols…

Maki’s headache was finally fading, but you wouldn’t know it looking at her face. A series of taps and swipes occupied her attention on her way back to the kitchen. The soothing jazz faded and was soon replaced with pulsing electric beats and unnaturally high-pitched and auto-tuned cutesy voices praising cute little kitten paws and punctuating each stanza with a level of “Nyan” with fervor that Hosh- … Rin. That Rin could only dream of.

The paired video was even worse. This level of pandering to panty-obsessed otaku churned her stomach. Maki stopped the video and dug into the next sandwich a little more viciously than intended before checking Youtube for another example, pulling up that really famous one with the massive roster of members.

The first page of search results didn’t even have any music… all just terrible headlines berating its members for vanity, tear-streaked apologies for daring to date, and pranks to watch them suffer. Yeah… that sounds great. Did Kousaka really think this was the only avenue for musical expression? If the girl wasn’t an upperclassman, there’d be some education in order…

“Not my problem,” Maki groused, swapping back to the jazz and letting the night melt away.

 

\-------------------

 

Coffee that late had been a mistake, but at least a fruitful one. Maki’s barebones composition for “Aishiteru Banzai” was finally ready for a little meat. It was primed for all the flourishes, undercurrents, and accents that the Yamaha and her software could imbue. She even had ideas on which instruments to weave in.

She just had to make it through another day of class and whittle away a few hours in the music room before juku. Maybe a nap would be a better idea than the finger gymnastics she’d have to fumble through to test run those additions. Her fingers already ached from sitting at the bench until 3:45, at which point her parents finally got in. Maki had feigned wanting to see them to tell them she loved them before heading to bed. Even though they chided her for not taking care of herself, they looked grateful.

Oh-so tired, but grateful.

‘I must look pretty tired too,’ Maki mused, yawning and stretching as she approached her classroom.

All thoughts were derailed moments later when she found Kousaka and her two friends waiting for her.

 

\-------------------

 

The day managed to pass without any further mishaps or repeats of yesterday’s social disasters. Irritation had consumed most of Maki’s morning following Kousaka’s bizarre request, but it was easy enough to put those thoughts aside as her own problems reclaimed their space in her heart. The others were so preoccupied with finding clubs that Maki had been able to fully devote her excess attentions to her notebook.

Her only concern with the song at this point had nothing to do with its composition. That was coming along great. The trouble was the motivation for why she was writing it. Was this really helping her move on, or was it just… holding on to and deepening those sad feelings for the sake of feeling sad? This was supposed to be a positive thing, dammit.

Maki twirled her finger through her hair as she sat at the bench and considered her notes. The lilts and weaves were balanced to elevate, that much was clear. The vocals were just where she wanted them… so where was the disconnect? Something about this just felt… off.

She stretched high for a long moment, groaning in satisfaction before running through a series of wrist stretches. She gnawed at her lip as she considered what she wasn’t feeling while playing the song instead of what she was. Where was the lack?

Obviously, there wasn’t the sensation of hope or positivity for the future. That much was clear. It didn’t stir up the feelings of gratitude for the experience she and Omine had shared. As her routine stretches wrapped up, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Maki’s fingers found the keys and began the routine. The no frills version. This was a vocal run, not an expansion. She kept her eyes closed and really belted it out this time. She pushed into full diva, reaching as deep as her feelings ran and found the problem. Naturally it wasn’t the music. That was perfect.

The problem was her.

Her own heart wasn’t in it.

She couldn’t strum up the feelings of gratitude because… she wasn’t grateful enough. The entire premise of the song was ingenuine. What’s the point in celebrating a love that was one-sided? What’s so great about that? Shame welled up as a very prominent thought took over.

‘You’re pointlessly glorifying something that clearly only mattered to you… and even then, you’re not being honest with what it really was…’

Just as her expression fell, the silence was filled with muted clapping. The monster was back in the window. Kousaka had spied on her AGAIN!

Barely capable of adhering to the social protocol of deference to one’s senpai, Maki turned and assumed the most ‘I don’t give a fuck,’ pose she could muster. The student council president herself would probably receive the same welcome after so many wildly personal intrusions into this sacred space.

However, if there is one thing that Kousaka was proving herself to be, “Dauntless” would rank pretty damn high. Persuasive too, if something as simple as doing pushups while smiling could instill the vaguest amount of respect for the physical capabilities of people who could dance and sing, “Nyan nyan puddi puddi pudding pana pya nyan,” with that much shameless conviction.

Yeah, idols and their music were still awful… but Kousaka didn’t seem to be. She seemed legitimately passionate, resolutely dedicated, and somehow confident that things would go her way. She’d left with the lyrics, and her fledgling’s group’s fate, literally in Maki’s hands.

The kicker?

They lyrics were good. Really good. Like, really really good.

Unreasonably good. The hairs on Maki’s arms stood just reading them. Literal chills. She read them… and re-read them… and again for another seven full rounds with tears welling. Beyond the flow, beyond the catchy English phrases thrown in (which she was a sucker for)… just… the entire message.

“That person, closed up in her sadness,  
Always crying, that person isn’t you.  
With a burning heart, I’m sure you’ll cut through it!”

“Grasping our happiness, moving forward,  
With you and I, connected,  
Of course we found our way back, after being lost.”

“With you and I, moving forward,  
That is a distant piece of our dream,  
But it’s an important piece!”

Who… the hell… was Kousaka Honoka?

 

\-------------------

 

When Maki left Otonokizawa, she didn’t walk toward her cram classes. She’d completely put aside such mundane thoughts and was stalking toward Kanda Myojin. She had, safely packed in her bag, a slip of paper with legitimate magic scrawled in cheap pen ink. It felt wrong to even touch it, so intense were the feelings it had inspired.

She abused her lower lip, wondering what she would say. The decision had already been made. Aishiteru Banzai’s entire reason for being had just been massively outclassed on every front save for musical composition… and that’s only because she hadn’t written it yet. But she would. She had to. She needed to. It was almost as if the song had been written specifically for her.

How dare it be so personal!?

What does something this good belong in the realm of what she’d seen last night? This wasn’t pandering, it was inspiring. Is this what idol music was supposed to be? ‘Maybe, just maybe, a sample size of one song and a few headlines was insufficient to rule out an entire subgenre,’ Maki thought, berating herself for falling for such a common mistake.

“I can’t take it anymore!!”

And there they were. Kousaka and her friend… (was that Minami?) seemed to be having a rough time and not being shy about it. The one standing above the pair was also familiar. Everyone who was anyone knew about the Sonodas… and their daughter Umi had earned her own reputation throughout the school, athletic and academic.

She’d been so distracted by Kousaka’s forwardness this morning that she’d not ID’ed the other two... and what a dynamic. Was Kousaka not the leader of the group? Sonoda was really letting them have it. How do you approach anyone having that kind of conversation? Maybe she could just… wait it out. Try to get one of them alone.

Any and all plans vanished as a strong pair of hands firmly took hold of her by the breasts and pulled her, shrieking, back into the alley.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” Maki cried out, eyes wide and adrenaline priming her body with a combination of flight and fight that canceled each other to zero sum, Maki could only stare in shock at the passive smile on the face of the girl straight up fondling her.

“You still seem to be developing…,” the other girl replied, calm enough to snap Maki out of her paralyzed state through the power of sheer indignation.

“Ha!?” Maki cried, pulling away and brandishing her bag, eyes wild.

“But you haven’t given up your desire yet, so there’s still hope,” the older, taller, fuller bodied, and shrine maiden-garbed girl continued. Her voice, still calm, composed, and confident, “They may get bigger yet!”

Whiplash reaching critical mass, Maki covered her chest and incredulously asked, “What are you talking about!?”

“If you’re embarrassed, there are more secretive ways to go about this,” she continued.

“What are you…” Maki began before the other girl interrupted.

“You know what I mean,” she said, turning toward the stairs and walking away. The words making the entire surreal moment, and the other girl’s identity, click into place.

What the hell was Toujou Nozomi doing here, why was she molesting first year students, and how did she know even the first thing about what was going on in her life to give such relevant advice?

But it was relevant. The entire trip here was a waste of time. There was magic in her bag and fire in her heart. She turned and started running home.

 

\-------------------

 

Thankfully, no one was home.

This was expected, but showing up in the middle of when she should be at juku would have been beyond awkward. Waki must have just left. She had left a plate of salmon carpaccio chilling in the fridge. Bless. Her parents would be on a mostly nocturnal shift for at least another two weeks, meaning her evening was free and she was safe to go into full-on try-hard mode.

This would be a complete turn-around from how the process usually went. It was certainly more traditional, but still foreign. The beat that Maki’s imagination had begun to plot out during the third readthrough set the pace brilliantly. She… just needed to time out these lyrics and give them the accompaniment they deserved.

Unworthy she may be, but as Maki delved into the melody, she swore that she’d murder anyone who would dare try to take this from her. Better minds may be out there, but this song was now hers, even if just for tonight. She inhaled her food, chugged three cups of coffee, and let the magic in her veins take hold of her body and mind.

The privacy let her sing until her voice was raw, play until her fingers ached, and laugh deliriously, half naked on the sitting room floor, when (at around 2:45 AM) she finally had the six-and-a-half pages of sheet music scrawled and notated with pacing for those beautiful beautiful lyrics.

Maki lugged her faithful Yamaha over to the computer for a digital recording, set up the microphone for the first time in years, and let the reverence she felt for this song and this night flow. Four takes, all passable but only one worth dropping onto a disc along with a .pdf of the sheet notations for auditory direction.

Another series of clacks estimated the on-foot travel time to Kousaka’s family store. While the disc burned, Maki dressed and packed her uniform into a bag for the trip. She wouldn’t be back tonight and she was still too wired from the caffeine and residual magic gripping her heart to even consider sleep.

It wouldn’t be the first night she’d spent outside evading nightly patrols and ignoring curfew… though it would be the first she’d done during a second consecutive no-sleep night. She dressed dark, even tucking her hair into her black wool cap, before taking to the street. There was such luxury in the feeling of having the outside world night to yourself.

Maki kept to side streets. It turned a trip that should have only taken twenty minutes over an hour… though she wasn’t exactly in a hurry. She only had to dodge one officer making the rounds and spent the rest admiring the moon and looking to the north longingly. Vega wouldn’t be this far south for a few months and she’d wanted to thank Lyra for whatever role she may have played in the day’s events.

Extra care was taken as she approached Homura, but she still took a time to scrawl the proposed idol group’s name as the only address on the disc’s cover and seal the offering with a kiss gentler and filled with more passion than those offered in goodbye to Omine. Comparing her feelings regarding her lost friend to this act felt wrong, so she resealed it with a heart overflowing with thanks.

If they could write songs like this… then Maki had no doubt they would succeed in whatever they did.

Maki left the disc in the mail slot, leaving a piece of herself behind with it. The magic felt diminished now… but not quite gone. This was a just a first draft. By the end of the week, she’d have a fully synthed up version with all the trimmings her keyboard could offer. Idols didn’t exactly put on their acts to classical piano… but this should put a smile on their faces and give them something to start synching their vocal training.

Maybe she could swing by and check in on them.

For now, she would swing by Kanda Myojin to offer most of her wallet as a donation, thank the Kami residing there for sending Toujou her way and pray for the girl’s happiness, and then sit out the rest of the night to watch the sun rise. Her throat was raw, her fingers throbbed, and she ached to her core.

This was a good night. The best she’d had in months… maybe years.

 

 

\------------

  
Off to Tsubasacon this weekend in Huntington, West Virginia. We'll be at the Manifested Dreams booth in the artists alley. It's the one with the sleepy octopus on the cloud for a banner. Might be a few days before I get to post again. This is already moving along a lot faster than expected. I hope the retelling chapters aren't as tedious for you all as I fear they'd be, but I feel like this stuff is important to establish where Maki's at emotionally. It'll make the coming chapters make a lot more sense. That's when the good stuff is gonna hit that diverges a bit more.

I should also mention that Maki's isn't the only head we'll get inside in this story. Nico's perspective is going to play a hefty role as well later on. 

Either way, thank you for reading. I honestly hadn't expected this to get much, if any, hits. <3


	4. The Concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki maybe makes some friends. Things finally start to diverge a little.

The next day, Maki hunted down the leading school idol tracking app (the wonders never cease), finding μ's after only a little trial and error and up-voting them with as affectionate a tap as she could manage.

Two days later, a critical-mass Maki slid a finished, properly synthed, version of Start Dash in Kousaka’s mail slot. She passed out half an hour later on the floor of her room, mid-hallucination and half-way to her bed, sleeping the rest of the day away.

Two days after that, she burned through the backlog of homework and studies that her obsessive devotion to the song had built up. There was quite a bit and her earbud had to swap from the budding idol group’s first song to something purely instrumental. Grim and steadfast was the mindset she needed now.

Two days following, the first concert notice appeared around the school. It was adorable. Chibi hand-drawn versions of the three girls were inviting the entire school for an after-class “live.” Maki took a walk-by snapshot of the poster to gush over later and determine the possibility of her attendance.

It had been over a week since Hanayo and Rin reverted back to calling her Nishikino. Maki’s classmates had stopped interacting with her in any way outside of her responsibilities as class representative. Just the thought of maintaining relationships was exhausting, so it didn’t upset her much. Small blessings, really. Given how busy she’d been, she’d probably chase them away with her insomnia-fueled grump-face.

She also started seeing Toujou everywhere. It was a small school, but Maki was starting to believe the hype surrounding the gentle mystical wisdom people attributed to her. Perhaps her favorite part of these run-ins was how the older girl seemed content to meet eyes, smile knowingly, and move on. After such a tumultuous first week of diving into new social waters, Maki appreciated a break in the wading pool of no abrupt physical contact or conversations. Just passing eye contact and nonverbal communication. Pretty hard to screw that up, so you always come off feeling cool.

So, of course Maki let her building confidence accommodate her budding curiosity. Risking tardiness for juku, she headed back toward the shrine after school to check in on the upperclassman trio. If they just so happened to be practicing their song, that wouldn’t be terrible. Oh, unless they were! Then, she’d be obligated to offer vocal training to the three active, popular, and attractive girls. All that time getting involved in their obviously close dynamic and having them rely on her for something she was really skilled in… oh it’d be the absolute worst.

Yup. 

Just awful.

Much better that they have their game going and she could just… listen in. ‘A little like an early access concert… maybe,’ Maki considered as she climbed the stairs. She immediately regretted not being more careful as the three were relaxing at ground level and spotted her stupid red hair straight away.

“Nishikino-san!!!”

‘Run.’

“Maki-chan!!”

Maki stopped, sighed, and turned straight into the sun. That was a pretty good comparison for Kousaka’s unflappable energy. Before the girl could call out any further, Maki tried telling her that she was glad they were here and she’d just been startled. She also tried conveying that she’d just been surprised and apologize for being jumpy. What came out was the expected, “Don’t shout at me!”

That seemed to sink in for just a moment, Kousaka pouted, “Eh? How come?”

“It’s embarrassing!” Maki’s mouth answered for her, leading to her snapping her mouth closed and biting down on her lips from the inside to keep any more unintended outbursts from slipping out.

“Oh. Sorry! Anyway, check it out!” she boasted, pulling out a music player and waving it in her face.

“… Very nice. It matches your shorts,” Maki replied after a beat, earning a silver-bell giggle from Minami.

“No! Well… hey, it does, but ON it!” Kousaka continued, “It’s a recording of us singing the song you wrote for us! We got the A/V club to help us!”

“What makes you think I wrote that for you?” Maki asked, already losing the battle of the blush, “It could have been anyone... “

“You’re the only one she asked,” Sonoda replied with an easy smile, “Also, you should take credit for your work. It’s really quite good.”

“Ah… well…” it had been so long since Maki had done anything musically inclined publicly that getting praised for it felt awkward. Her parents and Waki had grown so accustomed to her play that it didn’t elicit much of a response anymore. Maybe that’s what had made Kousaka’s praise from their first meeting so effective. Well… that and the fact that a cute girl had called her cute. This was getting ridiculous.

Maki’s internal musings were interrupted as Honoka, either charmed by the redhead’s flustered expression or perhaps sensing weakness, roared and pounced. The other two girls cracked up as Maki became personally acquainted with Honoka’s complete lack of respect for personal space as she giggled, wrapped her legs around Maki’s and wriggled in a way that was way too ridiculous to be erotic.

Sadly, Maki’s standards for that threshold were pretty low at this point.

“W-w-w-WHA!?” Maki stuttered, watching the relentless girl’s cackling face approach. Kousaka’s breath, hot on her ear, snapped what was left of Maki’s composure. She screamed even louder than when Toujou groped her.

She was even less prepared to hear Minami and Sonoda’s laughter as something warm slid into her ear. What kind of voyeuristic… oh.

“Gotcha~”

Earphones. Right.

Maki glared, indignant at the welling sense of disappointment. Low standards? What standards. Disgraceful. She covered the invaded ear and the trio crowded in to watch her reaction to the music. The glare faded while the blush remained.

“Wow. This is… this is really good,” Maki began, eyebrows raised, “I can really tell your voices apart in this. That means you’re all strong individually. Plus, the three of you combined have a very wide range. Minami-senpai, how hard do you need to push to reach this high?”

“Not hard at all!” Kotori replied, her pitch drawing a full-on stare from the younger girl.

Maki let the song play out before saying anything else. While they hadn’t given her any space, if anything they’d drawn closer, Maki felt more at ease just hearing the song. She focused her gaze on Honoka, drawing her thoughts together to say, “You did a really good job with the lyrics. They really spoke to me.”

Honoka looked overjoyed and immediately clung to Sonoda, “Right? They’re great! Umi-chan wrote them. She’s got books filled with stuff like this!”

“Honoka-chan!” Umi complained as Maki’s serious face turned toward her.

“It may be presumptuous, but… if you need help with… composition…” Maki heard herself say, capturing Umi’s gaze and immediately faltering.

“Oh hoh~ Umi-chan has a fan~” Kotori teased, her fingers snaking around Sonoda’s shoulders and whispering scandalously in her ear.

“You’re coming to the concert, right?” Honoka asked, sliding back into Maki’s space with that same confident smile.

“Possibly. Can I have a copy of that?” Maki replied, pointing to the music player.

“Nn!” Honoka enthusiastically agreed, “Email or Line?”

The question hung in the air for a moment as Maki considered the implications. Line meant opening oneself to constant contact and availability while Email was more of a “I’ll see it when I see it,” sort of communication tool. No expectation of immediate reply. On the other hand, a direct communication app like Line was a more personal option… pretty much an invitation of friendship.

Did she want that with Kousaka?

 

\-------------------

 

Maki schlepped it to juku with legitimate regret gripping her chest. Between Kousaka’s dejected expression and the tag team “sympathetic understanding” vibe from Minami and Sonoda, Maki felt like she’d made a mistake. That she’d passed on something potentially very good.

Maki scratched at her arms in agitation, hoping that she hadn’t burned any bridges, now that she was certain that it was something she wanted. Kousaka didn’t seem the type, but then again… peopling was hard.

For now, the redhead popped her earbuds in and let the three girls’ voices lift her spirits, hoping to glean something of their character by their inflection. She bobbed her head to the beat, passing a local grocer moments as a much smaller girl also wearing an Otonokizaka uniform came out.

Maki’s headset was set rather loud, so the faintest whisper of the pace, the beat, and the tune reached the girl’s twin-tail-covered ears. Eyes matching Maki’s hair immediately locked onto her, watching her bob and match her pace down to the sway of her hips. Maki was idly humming along, and since it wasn’t familiar, the smaller girl caught herself trailing along behind… just for a block or two to see if she could identify the song.

 

\-------------------

 

“I’m home!”

“Welcome home, sweetie!”

“Mama!” Maki replied in surprise, her voice perking up considerably.

Sure enough, the older woman stepped lightly down the stairs, meeting her daughter’s gaze and matching her smile. She crossed the distance while Maki set her shoes aside and gently laced her fingers through the girl’s wind-mussed hair.

“I thought you had the graveyard shift for another couple days,” Maki questioned with an easy smile, “This is a really nice surprise.”

“For me too,” Nadeshiko admitted, “Papa suggested take the rest of the day off to be home with our lovely girl. I think he just wanted me to stop distracting him!.”

Maki’s smile quirked into a smirk, “So I’m your designated distraction to keep you out of Papa's hair?”

“It seems so, at least for the evening,” Nadeshiko replied, sliding her hands over Maki’s cheeks, “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. I thought I’d just check the fridge. Juku has been good, but it keeps me out late enough that I can’t catch Waki-san.”

“She mentioned that. I think she misses you too.”

“Is she here?” Maki said, somehow perking up even more as she stepped out of the entryway and nuzzling shoulders with her mother.

“You just missed her, again. She left dinner in the dining room when I said I wanted to wait for you.”

“Thanks, Mama. I’m… really happy to see you.”

Nadeshiko checked her daughter’s eyes. That kind of vocal catch usually meant slight waterworks were on the way, but the only thing there was happiness. Well, happiness and the usual traces of makeup covering the dark circles that the girl’s insomnia had made permanent features.

“So, school has been busy,” Nadeshiko ventured, taking Maki’s bag and nudging her toward the dining room, “But have you been up to anything else? Any new friends? Have any clubs appealed to you?”

Maki shrugged off her uniform’s blazer and slung it over the back of her chair, “Maybe and not yet… though I have found a few fun extracurricular things that I’m looking into.”

“Such a hard working girl. I’m relieved you’re still finding time for fun.”

“All study all the time is too boring,” Maki admitted while peeling a clementine, “Upping the workload doesn’t provide substantive challenge, only a tighter time restraint… which I’m already pushing my limits on.”

“Have you been sleeping?”

Maki handed half of the fruit to her mother, also offering a helpless half-smile, “Sometimes. It’s better than it was, except when it isn’t.”

“That’s not very encouraging, Maki-chan.”

“I guess it isn’t, but I’ll manage. I always do. Can I play something for you?”

“Oh, do you have something new? You sound excited.”

“Yeah, this is a really good one...”

 

\-------------------

 

Later that night and early in the morning, around 3:45, Maki took a break from cycling through popular idol songs (still getting a feel for the genre) and opened her email for the thirtieth time this evening. She tapped through folders until reaching the subfolder she’d hidden Kousaka’s email in. She re-read it again, as if the mostly emoji-based note would yield new content or insight… or a bright positive voice… or hot breath on her ear.

Maki tapped reply, waited a moment, and began tapping a reply:

“Thank you again for sharing the file. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) ♫･*:.｡. .｡.:*･

I really meant it when I said I’d like to help with your music. Your voices are just so pretty and motivating, I can’t help but want to cheer you on! p(*＾-＾*)q

I’ll continue to support you, even if our working relationship is at an end. The concert is later this week and I know I’ve heard people talking about it.  
(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ I’m sure you’ll have a big turn-out! 

Best,  
Nishikino Maki

PS: My Line is terrible.tomato.roll  
Please share it with Minami-senpai and Sonoda-senpai as well, if they wish to have it.”

Maki stared at the message, her finger hovering over the send button. She quirked her lips to the side then to the other. She furrowed her brow and deleted “pretty and” from the one sentence before sending it off. She tapped to her outbox, nearly canceling the send but instead just watching it disappear into the net. She locked her phone, tossed it onto her table and buried her face in pillows.

She spent no less than another hour wondering if Kousaka would think her odd for sending something so late at night… or if she’d even notice.

Two hours later, her phone woke her with four consecutive dings. Line friend invitations. IRLRedBean.Bandito (probably Kousaka), Sonoda.Umi777, Minamicheep.3, and … Chrpchrp.muthafuka? Maki stared at the last one long and hard, connecting the phonetics to Minami’s, but… rather disbelieving at the same time.

She accepted the lot. Almost immediately, she received two messages.  
IRLRedBean.Bandito: ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و Wai wai! Maki-chan joins the party~~ Message me ANYTIME! <3  
and  
Chrpchrp.muthafuka: Please don’t tell Honoka-chan about this account. <3 It’ll be our little secret. (ヾ;￣▽￣)ヾ

What… did she just step into?

 

\-------------------

 

The day of the concert arrived. Even if Maki hadn’t been tracking the date or set an alarm on her phone, the amount of chatter from the Hanayo/Rin hype machine would have clued her in. Maki was grateful for their energy because today… today was a rough one. She’d fallen into a nasty routine of 68 hours up, 8 hours down. She was currently in the third day of this cycle and the cumulative fatigue was only being kept at bay through thorough caffeination and B-boosters.

Today would mostly be review, so she broke out the latest round of juku home-reading to keep herself occupied with something productive. Last night had been a total wash… save for sending out a round of encouraging Line notes to the three members of μ's. She’d spent an hour searching to find a new sticker pack she felt best accompanied her feelings before going with the old reliable, Hoppe-chan.

The day blurred more than most, partially from exhaustion, partially from the anticipation. The A/V club was making a last minute round of handing out flyers as Maki made her way to the auditorium, not-so-subtly relying on the wall to keep upright. When she arrived, she took one look inside before turning around and rounding the corner to wait outside and out of the way. Five minutes in that dark room and she’d be sawing logs.

Maki stretched to try and get her circulation going, maybe draw up some energy reserves that way. She received more than that when, at full extension, a pair of fingers danced their way up her side.

“GYEEEHA!” Maki jolted mid-yawn, jumping away from the offender.

“You’re rather jumpy, Nishikino-chan~”

“T-Toujou-senpai,” Maki replied, beet-red and wide-eyed.

“You seem awake now,” Toujou joked, somehow managing to stand straight while looking completely relaxed, “Here for the concert?”

“Nn.”

“Still a little shy?”

“I took your advice… but things didn’t go like I planned.”

“Oh? Is this going to be an acapella performance, then?”

Maki finally relaxed, turning to lean against the wall, “No. They got their song. Have you heard it?”

Not yet,” she admitted, circling Maki to get a better look at her expression.

She caught a good one, as Maki met her eyes with a genuine smile, “It’s really… really good. Are you sticking around to listen or were you just looking for vulnerable girls to molest?”

“I don’t see why I can’t do both,” Nozomi teased, leaning in daringly close to (successfully) turn up Maki’s blush dial.

“Toujou-senpai,” Maki replied, lowering her voice to sound as meek as possible, “How many of a girl’s firsts are you going to take before you’re satisfied?”

Nozomi looked absolutely delighted, “Oh, that’s good. Maki-chan can play after-all!”

Maki’s eyelids drooped and her voice went flat, “Playing with a young girl’s heart is unforgivable, Toujou-senpai,” and then dropped even lower to continue, “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

“Maki-chan should be careful with eyes like those,” Nozomi teased before claiming the spot on the wall beside her, “So how did things not go as planned?”

Maki, for once feeling grateful for the filter-negating exhaustion, leaned her head back and closed her eyes to reply, “I might have made some friends.”

Nozomi blinked, “Is that… a bad thing?”

Maki rolled her head to the side to face Nozomi, her eyes barely open and her smile wide and lazy, “What do you think?”

“I think Maki-chan needs a good night’s sleep…”

Maki snorted in a most dignified manner, “Toujou-senpai might be as perceptive as she is lecherous.”

“Washi washi fortune telling is a time-honored tradition, I’ll have you know,” Nozomi chided, drawing another round of snort-laughter from the exhaustion-drunk Maki, “There’s nothing perverted about it!”

“I said lecherous, not perverted, senpai.”

“There’s a difference?”

“There’s a difference.”

“Enlighten me?”

“If senpai were perverted, she would take her pleasure without giving anything in return,” Maki explained, unintentionally sliding closer as her eyelids continued to droop and her words slur, “But Toujou-senpai gives good advice. Since you take your pleasure as part of helping others, you’re just lecherous.”

Nozomi’s laugh was edged with nervousness. Somewhere along the way, the script had fallen to the wayside and the young redhead was no longer falling within the expected parameters. A more direct line should be enough to send her bristling and blushing back to normal, “You make it sound like you didn’t mind it.”

“I don’t know… it was over so quick. Maybe I liked it,” Maki mumbled, mostly to herself, before leaning in to ask, “Do you like that sort of thing, senpai?”

“The concert should be starting soon,” Nozomi replied, her eyes wider than Maki had ever seen them, “Shall we get a seat?”

“Definitely,” Maki replied, staggering away from the wall and futilely trying to shake off her sleepiness, “Don’ wanna miss this.”

The room was… almost completely empty. Three idol-garbed girls looking relieved, Maki’s classmates, Toujou, herself, and some… short person hiding in the upper rows. Kousaka seemed to be mid-speech, possibly some kind of pre-show dramatic monologue about how idols would save the world… or at least the school. No matter what the content, her voice had Maki smiling again.

Maki grabbed Toujou by the wrist and dragged her past the row with the shy hiding girl and to the sixth row from the front, continuing to lead her to the middle and sitting beside her. Poor Nozomi looked helplessly around as Maki waved to the girls on stage and to her two classmates.

 

\-------------------

 

The performance was great, though Maki had trouble discerning what some of the movements were about. There seemed to be a difference between what kind of hand actions showed up well on camera and what worked in a live performance. That aside, it was a fantastic experience! The three were so energetic. Their voices were surprisingly on point for how active they were being. Hanayo’s cries for an encore were so encouraging that Maki was certain that the rest of the school would be cursing their fates for having missed the event.

At some point during the performance, Nozomi had disappeared. Maybe she had never been there. It was hard to tell at this point in the cycle. Maki had to restrain a surge of giggles at her classmates’ expressions when she approached the μ's trio and praised them so openly… and so affectionately. Grasping hands with each in turn taught Maki a little about the real-life magical girls before her.

Kousaka didn’t surprise her. Kousaka seemed to be perfectly comfortable with any and all physical contact. Sonoda’s deep blush wiped away the semblance of aloofness and made Maki feel a real connection. Chrpchrp.muth-err… Minami’s reaction was the most interesting. She gripped back almost as tightly as Kousaka, but her expression was one of eager curiosity. 

When she turned to leave, Rin’s expression was, for the first time, entirely unreadable. Blank slate aimed in her direction. A slate that became a little colder as she passed Hanayo, saying, “You were absolutely right. Idols are pretty amazing.”

Maki swayed back to her seat to collect her bag and the world began to swim around her. She leaned heavily on the rail as she walked toward the exit, Hanayo's excited praise filling the auditorium. As she slowly made her way, Maki watched the girl who still seemed to think herself unnoticed. Closer inspection confirmed it to be the short twin-tailed girl from before. Maki stopped and waited until their eyes met. Maki felt herself grin at the “gotcha” moment and made cheesy finger-guns, popping them in the other girl's direction. Her grin deepened all the more at how mortified Twin-tail looked.

She paired a wink with a stuck out tongue as her parting gift and stumbled out of the auditorium. The walls were breathing heavily now. They must be amping themselves up for dashing toward a future of their own. Who were the wall’s friends? It would be lonely to face the future alone. Maybe they could work together.

Maki stumbled again as the floor slanted, melted, and shuddered back to solidity. Nausea gripped her stomach as she reached out for the wall that was too far away. Oh… wrong wall. Maybe a nap at the nurse’s office before heading home was in order. She tried blinking to teleport herself there, but… she was still in the swirling hall.

“HEY YOU!”

A new voice. Maki didn’t recognize it at all, so she froze up. Maybe if she didn’t move, it wouldn’t see her. Sadly the floor would cooperate. Maki turned around and Twin-tail was marching toward her.

“You’ve got a lot of ner… uhh… hey, are you alright?”

Her eyes were so red. Maki couldn’t stop staring at them. Twin-tail’s question finally registered. Maki blinked, straightened up, brows furrowed, and replied, “No. I’m Maki,” before the hallway lights went out and something really heavy and really really hard slammed into the back of her head. The last thing that went through Maki's mind was the sound of Twin-tail's panicked voice, "Hey! HEY! Nozomi! Get ov-"


	5. Meet the Yazawas

A/N: Here's where the real divergence begins.

 

Nico… did not need this shit.

The super-weird overly-literal redheaded underclassman just dropped like a sack of rice. It was easily in the top five worst things Nico had ever seen. It had been so abrupt! It was almost like the unbalanced movements from before were from her being a marionette… and then her strings had been cut.

Nico backed away slowly, looking around the hallway as dread gripped her heart for someone else. Anyone else. How was it so quiet up here with clubs still in session? Was the school really that empty!?

“Nozomi?” Nico began warily. She had been at the concert and seemed to always be around when either most or least convenient, “Nozomi!?!”

The faint tapping of footsteps rose above the… “idol trio’s” encore performance. With a final glance at the eerily unmoving underclassman, Nico took off, bolting towards the sound. She nearly slipped as she rounded the corner, drift-running toward the girl who was indeed the student council’s vice president.

“Nozomi! Get over here quick! Your girlfriend just passed out in the hall!”

Normally, getting any rise she could out of the notoriously calm and mysterious girl would have been beyond satisfying. Watching her eyes widen and genuine fear settle in was absolutely chilling. Nico had never seen Nozomi move that fast before. She nearly knocked Nico over as she took off. In the time it took Nico to turn and re-round the corner, Nozomi was already crouched over the underclassman… looking relieved?

“We aren’t dating,” Nozomi began as Nico approached, “This is just someone I’ve been teasing for the past few weeks. What happened? Did she slip?”

“I don’t know! Maybe,” Nico said, wondering at Nozomi’s extreme reaction, “It looked to me like she just passed out while standing. Can you help me get her to the nurse’s station?”

“Nn. Just let me make sure it’s safe to move her,” Nozomi said, wincing in anticipation as she probed under Maki’s head. Her brow grew tighter as she continued to feel around.

“What is it?” Nico asked as Nozomi checked her fingers.

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Nozomi confessed.

“Nozomi! This could be serious!”

“I know! I mean, there’s nothing obvious, so...”

“Ugh. Let’s just go. Get her arms, I’ll get her legs.”

“Shouldn’t we fireman’s carry her?”

“I can’t lug her around on my own and I’m sure as hell not going to make you deal with this on your own. I’m already involved.”

“Niccochi… alright.”

“Besides, if you take her top half she’ll have those pillows for support.”

Nozomi sighed, “You really need to work on some new material with me. I’m going to start thinking you’re obsessed.”

It was a small blessing that Maki was entirely passed out as the two waddled their way to the nurse’s station. The three did not make for a very… dignified sight. After depositing the K.O.ed redhead on one of the beds, Nozomi plopped down onto its neighbor and whipped out her phone.

“I’m going to let Elicchi know what’s going on. She might have a better idea of what to do about this.”

“Where’s the nurse? Shouldn’t they be around until after clubs are finished for the day?”

“Budget,” Nozomi said as explanation dropping the phone on the bed, “So… how did you like the show?”

“Tch, really? Don’t start with me…“ Nico growled, sitting on the edge of Maki’s bed, “Can’t we focus on the problem at hand?”

“What else can we do? Little Maki-chan is checked out and she’s the only one who can tell us what’s going on. For now, it looks like we’re stuck waiting.”

“Maki… Maki… Oh! So this is that Nishikino girl, right?”

“You haven’t met? What have you heard?”

“Only a little,” Nico replied with a shrug, turning to look at the unconscious girl at her side, “All I know is she’s some rich kid, that her parents own that hospital nearby, and people were making a fuss when they heard she was here. She usually looks like she’d be a real haughty princess type, but… looking at her now...”

Maki groaned, her face scrunched up and she turned on her side, curling inward.

Nico made more room, sliding away from the redhead’s face, and continued, “I’m getting the impression she’s either crazy or on drugs. Either way, kind of a pain.”

Nozomi had pulled out a deck of cards and was in the process of shuffling. Again, she had an unusual expression in that she had an expression at all. Nico perked up. She appreciated these rare moments where Nozomi showed anything other than her passive detached smile. Nico was fairly certain she didn’t show faces like these to just anyone. Right now, she looked pensive... concerned. It was a little scary, but at the same time… intimate? It was a complex relationship.

Nozomi stopped shuffling, looking frustrated and resuming, “She’s definitely difficult. The cards have been very volatile regarding her.”

“Oh yeah?” Nico replied, moving the girl along.

“The readings are wildly different depending on what I try drawing for. Conflicting. Almost all of the general readings have been… troublesome.”

Nico crossed her legs uncomfortably. This was now into way more Nozomi than Nozomi usually shared. She never went into how her divination methods worked… she just made vague references and flitted on with her business. “Go on?”

“Here. I’ll just show you,” she replied, closing her eyes and reshuffling. She plucked the top card and slapped it down on her lap.

Nico gaped at the imagery, some guy laying dead on the ground with a bunch of swords in his back, as Nozomi continued “Ten of swords. There’s a lot of ways to read this, but it’s probably safe to assume that either someone has wronged her or some plan she had has failed.”

“That or she’s dead! That’s… really gruesome, Nozomi,” Nico said, “Are you sure that doesn’t mean she’s going to die?”

“They’re not to be taken so literally… at least not all the time. It’s really subjective. That’s more of a figurative “stabbing in the back” card.”

“Maybe it’s talking about the floor?”

Nozomi’s face softened a little, “That’s our Niccochi. But look, that comes up a lot, but then…” Another card, a man lugging a large number of sticks. “Ten of wands. Everytime.”

“Carrying a heavy load? Work-a-holic?”

“Yes! Very good. Maybe we should go get a deck for you too~”

Preening a little, Nico replies, “That might work for your aesthetic, Nozomi, but hardly befitting a super idol.”

“Yes, yes. I’ve pulled these two cards sequentially for her several times now. If the cycle continues this should be the Hermit,” Nozomi said, ignoring the rebuff. She pulled the card and stared at it for a moment before displaying it for Nico.

“Looks like you’re losing your touch, Nozomi. That doesn’t look like a hermit. I’m guessing whatever Tower is, it’s not good.”

“Traditionally no. According to this reading, no as well… not that any of this has been even close to a real, comprehensive formal reading. Honestly, until today she’s just been a curiosity. It looks like poor Maki-chan has quite a few troubles,” Nozomi said, trying to keep her voice light. She gathered the cards together and began shuffling again, turning to sit facing the length of the bed while turning her head to maintain eye contact with Nico.

Nico jumped as Maki squirmed again, curling tighter and bringing her forehead to Nico’s hip. Absently, Nico began teasing the underclassman’s hair, brushing her fingertips through the somewhat untamed mass of red. The younger girl made a kind of whimpering noise at the contact, which Nico found herself shushing gently as she watched Nozomi shuffle.

“How motherly of you… She’s a loud sleeper,” Nozomi commented.

“She’s got nothing on Cocoa,” Nico replied breezily before changing the subject back to... “What’re you pulling for now?”

“You. Her. Me. There’s been magic in the wind, Niccochi. The spirits have been playful before, but this feels like something monumental is about to take place. I feel like I might be as locked into this as you are… and that a certain number one idol in the universe just might claim the center after all.”

Nico shivered at the words, deepening her finger brush to gentle scalp massage. It was hard to not get her hopes up, “Well now I see where you get your popularity from. That was some quality bullshit right there.”

Nozomi merely giggled in reply, seeing Nico’s smile accompany the jab. Before the feeling could fade back into companionable silence, Maki woke up gasping. She jumped and jerked away, slamming her head into the backboard. The two third-years stared, Nico from the foot of the bed where she had jumped to in shock. Maki curled back up, holding the back of her head and letting loose a pitiable, “Ooowww…”

The moment held for a bit, until Nico spoke up, “You gonna make it?”

“Ugh… sorry. Jeez, that hurt,” Maki began, uncurling enough to peer at the two with one eye, “Oh. Toujou-senpai. Twin-tail-senpai.”

Nozomi burst out laughed as Nico’s eyebrows raised, “That’s Yazawa, not Twin-tail. Yazawa Nico.”

“Sorry,” Maki slurred, rolling onto her back and propping herself up by her elbows. She squinted as if the room were too bright and continued, “How long was I out?”

“Not even fifteen minutes,” Nozomi provided, calmly and subtly packing her cards away.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Nico added flatly, “Does this sort of thing happen often?”

“Nn-Nnn,” Maki denied, “Sorry for the trouble. It’s been a… I just… yeah.”

“Enlightening,” Nico replied.

“Very articulate!” Nozomi joked.

“Are you going to be okay to get home?” Nico finished, standing and straightening her skirt.

Maki continued to look around blearily, “No. I’ll just stay here tonight.”

Both girls stopped moving and turned to stare.

“What?” Nico asked, taking point while Nozomi settled in to watch.

“There’s no way I’ll make it home in this shape. I’ll just… hide out here and maybe catch a few hours before morning,” Maki groggily replied, touching the multiple sore spots on her head gingerly.

“What’re you going to do for food?”

“Ehh… I think there’s some vending machines by the dojo, aren’t there?”

“Won’t your parents be worried when you don’t show up?”

“No no, it’s good. There’s no one there this week. Won’t even know,” Maki replied groggily.

Nico met Nozomi’s incredulous gaze. Eyes wide, Nico nodded her head toward Maki and glared.

“I’m already late. I should be halfway to the shrine by now,” Nozomi explained, vocally backpedaling from the potential responsibility.

Nico’s shoulders fell as Maki replied, “Oh, sorry. Thanks for getting me here, Toujou-senpai. I owe you one. Both of you.”

Maki continually failed to blink the grogginess away as Nico grabbed Maki’s bag and plucked out her student ID. Maki watched mutely, vaguely following the action until Nozomi standing pulled her attention away.

“I should be going. Take care, both of you.”

“Mmhmm,” Nico replied distantly as she tapped the underclassman’s address into her phone, “I’ll keep you updated.”

“Goodnight,” Maki added, back to poking at her sore spots.

“This is one heck of a commute, Nishikino. You take this every day?”

“I do,” Maki replied, her wandering gaze finally settling on the coffee pot, “It’s not that bad.”

Maki stumbled to her feet and trudged to the long-cooled batch. Nico kept the conversation rolling, if just to keep her kouhai’s mind engaged, “There’s a lot of good schools between here and your place... Are you really going to drink that?”

“Mmhmm,” Maki replied, pouring and immediately downing the entire cup like a shot. She poured the last of the pot, rinsed it out in the sink, and sat on the bed where Nozomi had been so she could face Nico, “She’s started leaving the rest for me since I’m in here every evening.”

“From cracking your head or fainting?”

Maki smirked, life seeming to return to her features, “Neither, though that’s been happening a lot more than I’d like lately.”

“... Cracking your head or fainting?”

The smirk became a snort, “The former. Sorry if I worried you. I don’t mean to hold you up. You probably have places to be.”

“I do, actually…” Nico began, but didn’t move. She was busy watching the inconsistent girl nursing a mug of nasty black coffee like it was fine wine.

Maki now wore her weariness like pair of pajama pants, Nico thought. A comfortable sort of exhaustion. When Maki turned a lazy smile to her and said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be alright thanks to you and Toujou-senpai. I’ll try not to cause you any more trouble.”

Nico believed her.

She didn’t like that. Not at all.

“You’re not done being a pain just yet, Nishikino. Grab your bag, you’re coming home with me.”

 

\-------------------

 

“You really don’t need to do this, senpai,” Maki reminded for the dozenth time.

“I don’t know what’s more annoying,” Nico snapped lightly, “That you keep saying that or that you genuinely believe it.”

At least she’d kept her complaining off the main roads. It let Nico be more liberal with her reprisals. An idol always had to be aware of her surroundings after all. Still, the embarrassed and strangely meek girl’s reactions made her feel guilty about being so harsh. Then there was the girl’s inability to focus on anything longer than a moment or two. At least half of the things Nishikino had repeated during this trip was likely because she forgot she’d said it in the first place!

Anticipating the redhead’s follow-up, Nico took a deep breath and pressed to new territory, “I have to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. Mama’s going to be a little late, so I need to get things ready for the kids. Since... you’re our guest, is there anything you want?”

That did the trick. Nico tried to not laugh as Nishikino’s gears tried turning in new ways, making it really hard to stay angry at the girl or the situation... as inconvenient as it was. Partially, this was because the redhead seemed so frustrated with herself for her state. Any teasing would just make Nico a bully and idols weren’t bullies.

It also didn’t hurt that Nishikino happened to be exceptionally cute. That troubled expression, the way she bit her lip, the way she focused at some point on the street ahead without actually seeing anything… it was like purified grade-A moe, distilled through the younger girl’s annoyingly classic beauty. If the girl’s health wasn’t in such a rough state, Nico would have been tempted to tease her just a little just to keep milking expressions like this. Just tempted. Again, not a bully.

“-asta?”

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Nico asked, circling to Nishikino’s front and leaning in to dominate her view, “Nico was distracted.”

Maki somehow looked even more embarrassed by the sudden close proximity, “Err, ah… would pasta be alright? Also, you’re letting me pay for this. This is all too much otherwise.”

“Oh, Maki-chan will pay, alright. Nyee hee hee,” Nico replied, grinning cheesily, applying idol persona tactics to make the outing less awkward, “What kind of sauce does the refined lady prefer? Alfredo? Tomato?”

Maki’s expression loosened up a bit again. Playful tones apparently work well with sleepy heiresses. She was even smiling now, albeit shyly, “Tomato?”

“Tomato it is!” Nico confirmed, falling back to Maki’s side, partially to keep herself from staring and mostly to link arms with the girl, “We’ll definitely need to stock up then. You don’t mind vegetables or mushrooms do you?”

“That sounds… really good. Way better than vending machine tomato soup and a bottle of pocari sweat.”

“EWW!” Nico laughed, “That sounds terrible! Why would you do that to yourself?”

“It wouldn’t be at the same time!” Maki replied, mirroring Nico’s smile.

“I’d hope not. But... vending machine tomato soup?”

“I like tomatoes?” Maki shrugged.

“Maki-chan is very different than Nico expected,” Nico admitted before tapping the taller girl’s arm and pointing, “This is the place. Let’s duck in here. This won’t take long, just stay close to Nico, okay?”

“No problem. Hey, this is on the way to juku…”

“Juku? I… guess it makes sense that you’d go to something like that. You didn’t have to go today, did you?” Nico asked, grabbing a basket at the door.

“Thankfully, no. That was yesterday. I got my homework wrapped up from that around 3:00 AM this morning.”

“Well no wonder Maki-chan is so worn out,” Nico chided, “Girls as pretty as us need at least eight hours a night!”

Maki laughed only a little too loud, but it was worth it. Keeping a conversation rolling seemed to be what the doctor ordered. There was the oddity of the younger girl taking great care to maintain minimal contact, even with the linked arms. It was almost like she was embarrassed… but not quite.

“The truth would probably disappoint you, senpai.”

Nico pouted as cutely as she could manage, drawing more of the redhead’s blush out, “The names don’t match the height dynamics here… the studio audience would be confused.”

“Eh?!?”

“Just for tonight, leave senpai to the side. Nico will play the part of Nico... and Maki, if she’s okay with it, shall play the part of Nico’s very good and extra pretty friend Maki-chan.”

Wow, her face got really red, really quick. She tensed up, averted her gaze and replied, “That works. Who… who is the audience?”

“The world’s a stage, Maki-chan… though… Nico should probably warn you what’s waiting for us when we get home. Before that, shiitake, crimini, or Nico’s favorite, quantity-over-quality white-caps?”

While the younger girl was still blushing radiantly, she did seem to regain enough composure to answer snarkily, “Nico-chan’s fabulous friend is a spoiled rich girl treating her and her family to dinner… kind of. I’m not cooking. Get any or all. If you wanted this to be a meat pasta, that’d be good too.”

“Oh hoh~ Maki-chan has awakened!”

“Tomato fuels my body, spoiling my… very cute friend fuels my heart?”

Nico cracked up for a moment, “This pasta just went alfredo, because that was cheeeesy.”

She only laughed harder as Maki pouted, “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! You better be careful though, I’ll take you up on it. Nico doesn’t get to spoil her siblings very often.”

“Siblings plural? How many?”

“The adorable Nico is only surpassed by her two adoring younger sisters, Cocoro and Cocoa, and her unreasonably cute little brother Cotaro. Mama will be there eventually as well, but she’ll be running a bit late.”

“She must be pretty impressive. Those names are amazing.”

“Mama is the greatest person you’ll ever meet. The pasta will be good, my siblings will be adorable, and Nico will be as perfect as always... but Mama is a class of her own.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Maki laughed, dragging Nico back to one of the freezer aisles.

“Wheeere are we going?” Nico asked, her basket already mostly filled with so much for the purpose of one meal that it would normally have receded her hairline.

“If I’m going to spoil your whole family, we’ll need ice cream.”

“Eh? you’re sure?” Nico asked, eyeing the basket nervously, “This really is turning into a lot.”

“... I still feel indebted, regardless of this,” Maki replied, plucking a small tub of matcha flavored, “I… wasn’t looking forward to another night dodging the night patrol, even though they only ever make one pass.”

“... Can Nico ask about that a little?” hesitantly pulling a tub of neopolitan another of birthday cake, “If it wouldn’t be too much?”

“... No problem. Though, if we can wait until after checkout? It’d be… kind of embarrassing otherwise.”

“Not as embarrassing as your old lady tastes,” Nico said, peering at Maki’s selection, “Matcha? Really?”

“It’s refined! Really good too.”

“For cute girls, it has to be sweetness~”

“You’ll have to share then.”

“Uwa~ but you’d have to have something Nico would want.”

“You don’t like matcha? Are you even Japanese?”

“Nico is a citizen of the world~”

Needless to say, the rest of the store was relieved when the two increasingly vocal girls walked out, laden with way more bags than they’d anticipated. Nico’s entire being thrummed with an excited energy. A rare shopping spree, promised sweets, surprisingly high-quality conversation and verbal sparring, and an increasingly coherent and intriguing girl on her arm. Her earlier irritation about the budding idol group that had dominated her thoughts for the past few weeks was a distant memory.

“So. Maki-chan. Why would a classy girl like you be sleeping at schools, living off of vending machine soup, and passing out in hallways? Nico can no longer believe the hype of the elite Nishikino heiress.”

“That hype is all my parents. Them and everyone else’s assumptions,” Maki replied, sticking out her tongue, “Would you believe this is the longest conversation I’ve had with… anyone since… midway through middle school?”

“No, but that’s because Maki-chan has a vocabulary, can use it, and is too pretty to be left alone for that long,” Nico poked, marveling again at how easy it was to flip the younger girl’s skin to “fresh tomato” mode.

“Err… well… it’s true. Nico… chan… is very flirtatious.”

“Nico is here to make you smile~”

“So… was the name on purpose? Like that? Because, if so, that is seriously cute.”

“Everything about Nico is cute~ but Maki-chan is avoiding the question~”

“Nico-chan is distracting!” Maki laughed, looking a little exasperated, “The truth isn’t very cute. Is that alright?”

“Nico didn’t expect it to be. Maki-chan more than makes up for that.”

“Right. So, yeah,” Maki began, but then dropped off, “I… don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that wasn’t family before.”

“I guess that makes Nico family then?”

Oh… that got a reaction. Maki temporarily showed a very sentimentally serious face. Maybe this was a touchier topic than she should be reaching for…

“I…” Maki began, “... have trouble sleeping. Like… outside of fifteen minute naps like earlier…”

“Passing out doesn’t count as a nap, Maki-chan.”

“Right. Still, it kind of does with me. I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in… nearly three days?”

“... What?” Nico deadpanned, completely forgetting to apply even a semblance of idol charm.

“Yeah. It’s been getting worse really. I used to just miss a night here and there, but lately it’s been three days without and then six hours in between. It’s normalized a bit so I can expect that, so it isn’t quite as… well… no… I… guess that’s still bad.”

“Aren’t your parents doctors? Yes, Maki-chan, that sounds bad.”

The younger girl raised her hands and finger-quoted as she replied in a low voice, “Being able to work late hours is a vital skill you’ll need when you take over.”

“How do you not sleep? I… How does that even work?”

“It just never goes quiet up here,” Maki replied with her eyes aimed up, “It always finds something to focus on, usually music.”

“Ah, Maki-chan likes music, eh?” Nico asked. A redirect! Keep her cheerful. “What group keeps a cutie like you up all night?”

“Mou…” Maki complained, her face re-reddening after just coming back down, “Actually, it’s usually original things these days. I play and compose.”

“Get out. Really? That’s... really cool! Not to be mean, but are you any good?”

That got Maki laughing again, “Not to be vain, but yeah. I’m pretty good.”

“Pretty girls should be confident in their skills, especially magical ones like writing music~”

Clearly the redhead was becoming comfortable with the banter, because the hip-bump she nudged Nico with was not subtle, “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Maki-chan’s blush is cute.”

“Mou!!”

“Maki-chan’s pout is cute.”

“MOU!!”

“Super cute.”

Indignation shifted back to laughter, “Nico-chan is ridiculous.”

“Also cute.”

“Super cute.”

Nico added to Maki’s laughter for most of a block, now swaying their linked arms together. No one could stand before the might of the number one idol in the universe’s smile power for long! Drunk on power, Nico nudged back with her hip and replied, “What’s a pretty girl like Maki-chan doing getting all blushy for? I’m sure she’s got pleeenty of admirers.”

“Nooope. Name intimidation factor, remember? Besides, anyone would blush being fawned over like that by someone like you.”

Idol power at maximum! We have achieved a mobius loop of flattery. There’s no stopping this train now, baby, “Like Nico~? Nico is cute. Nico is pretty, but Maki-chan has that classic, timeless jeh nuzz say kwah~”

Maki snorted and then giggled, her face nearing critical mass, “Je ne sais quoi, Nico-chan.”

“That’s what I said!” Nico defended, basking in the Nishikino glow, “I don’t know what it is, but you’ve got it.”

“I know a secret,” Maki admitted, her smile going sly as if the game was advancing a level, “A super secret Nico-chan secret.”

“Oh? Let me guess. Hmm… Nico has a new fan?”

“That’s a secret?” Maki replied, her smile teasing and warm in a way that Nico felt in her toes, “No, a real secret. I’m not going into it here, because… well… it’s a secret… but I know it.”

“Nico thinks Maki-chan is fibbing to change the subject, but alright,” Nico relented, “You tell Nico the secret you stole and then tell me one of your own. We’ll trade.”

“That… doesn’t add up!” Maki replied, indignant after a moment, “I’m the one giving all the information!”

“Maki-chan forgets, she’s coming home with Nico-chan. She’s meeting her super secret, unbelievably adorable family… and… yeah. One more thing.”

“Mmm?”

“They… “ Nico began, took a breath, gulped, and then rushed, “They think that Nico has been a school idol since Nico was a first year at Otonoki…”

“... Eeh?”

“I know. It’s weird. Just… do me a favor. Go along with it. Pretend that Nico is a big deal. Super famous. You don’t have to pretend to be a fan, just… let them have this?”

Nico winced, not the wording she’d intended. Maki’s face, only barely displaying her exhaustion now, looked solemn. She closed the remaining distance she’d been keeping and tightened the arm lock, “School idol eh? Should we say I compose for you?”

Nico blinked as Maki continued, “I… only just recently learned about the whole school idol thing. It’s kinda cool, really… though I didn’t think so at first. I think I saw some bad examples to start with… but, like… If you think it’d help. I dunno. It’d give you a reason you’re bringing me home?”

“That’s… kind of a cool thought,” Nico considered, “Only one problem with that plan, Maki-chan…”

“Mm?”

“You’d have to make repeat appearances…”

“That’s a problem?”

“I… guess not.”

Now Maki seemed to have the advantage. She lowered her voice, narrowed her… really pretty eyes and said, “I’d like to spend more time with Nico-chan…”

Now Nico was blushing.

“HA! Now it’s your turn!”

“W-wha?!” Nico protested, “Nico’s turn to what!?”

“To blush because a pretty girl is hitting on her,” Maki replied, straightening up and looking very proud of herself.

…

“Hitting on her?” Nico replied, a lightbulb going off, “Oh!”

Nico lowered her voice again as thoughts, meanings, and reactions came together to form a very important assessment of her evening’s companion. Speaking low enough that it would just be between them, despite there being no one else on the street, Nico asked, “Is Maki-chan a pretty girl that likes pretty girls like she’d like pretty boys?”

Maki froze up, looking incredibly uncomfortable for all of five seconds. Her face went through a myriad of expressions before settling on one Nico might have expected from her preconceived princess-like image of the redhead. Tall, half lidded eyes with high skeptical brows. Different from warm and blushy Maki-chan. There’s something to be said about the cool types.

“That’s not quite right,” Maki began not taking her eyes off of Nico, “I don’t think I could ever be with a man.”

Nico shivered.

“So… Maki-chan likes pretty girls exclusively?”

“I’ve got a pretty broad range of what I’d call pretty then… but… yeah.”

Something in Maki’s expression shifted. Physically imperceptible, but it made all the difference in the world. The distance was gone, The chilling power thawed. Maki just looked tired again. She whispered, mostly to herself, “I’ve never told anyone that before.”

“... Nico will keep your secret,” Nico replied softly, “I… hope I didn’t just push you into that…”

“No. No, this is good,” Maki answered, her voice equally soft. She closed her eyes and continued, “This is good. Things have been so different lately. Good different though.”

The two approached the apartment building where Nico’s siblings waited. Nico slowed her pace, wanting to make sure the weary redhead got to say what she needed to before the main event, “There’s been… I don’t know… something in the air lately. Something electric. So many amazing things keep happening one after another. I keep waiting for something awful to balance it out, but… the good things just keep coming.”

Nico turned circled around to Maki’s front, turning their arm link into a hand hold to reply, “Why would you think something bad would have to happen? Nico thinks Maki-chan might have already had enough bad. Maybe all this good is the balancing part?”

When Maki didn’t seem to have an answer, Nico had never felt quite so powerful.

 

\-------------------

”I’m hooome!”

Nico eyed her guest, grinning at her reaction to the sounds of the oncoming stampede trumpeting various honorific levels of sister and her name. At least, she did until Maki stepped behind her. Nico snorted.

Cocoa popped into view first, as Nico had held Maki back as far into the foyer as possible to play up the surprise. The youngest Yazawa daughter gaped as Cocoro appeared at her side. The moment right, Nico proclaimed, “… and I’ve brought company!”

Nico stepped to the side, making a show of presenting the taller redhead, “You’re looking at the number one super-idol in the universe’s song-writer, the talented and beautiful Nishikino Maki~!”

“Ah… hi,” Maki said, offering a wave and looking embarrassed.

The two younger girls squealed and cheered.

“Wow! Onee-san never brings anyone home!” Cocoro marveled.

“Are you an idol too? You’re so pretty!” Cocoa asked.

“Do you have any songs you’re working on right now?” Cocoro added.

“Do you sing too? Nico-onee-san is really good at singing!” Cocoa proclaimed.

“Company?” Cotaro asked, poking around the corner.

“Ahh…” Maki stammered.

“Are you two going to work on a song tonight?” Cocoa asked, “Can we listen?”

“Is that your real hair color?” Cocoro asked, nodding toward Maki, “I really like how it’s done!”

“Thank you,” Maki said while flailing, “Lemme catch up a sec before I forget.”

Maki slid her shoes off, giving Nico a ‘what is even happening’ look, “I’m not an idol, I have a few things I’m working on. I can sing, I’m alright at it, and I’d love to play a little for you tonight if Nico-chan doesn’t mind the leak.”

“I’ll allow it,” Nico proposed magnanimously to the cheers of her siblings, “though I didn’t bring Maki-chan home to work. She’s had a rough few days and I was hoping to let her take a night off… so go easy on her, alright?”

“Ice cream…” Cotaro interjected in the moment of silence that followed, pointing out the multiple bags with wide eyes.

“Onee-san… we don’t have enough room in the fridge for all of this!” Cocoro added.

“Here, let me help with the bags,” Cocoa offered, looking up to Maki with bright excited eyes.

“Ah, sure. You take these two and show me where this all goes?” Maki replied, her eyes moving back to Nico as the smaller girl got a good grip. She looked a little overwhelmed, but still happy.

After Maki and Cocoa left the entryway, Cotaro waddling after because ice cream, Cocoro offered a smile and open hands to help as well, “Thanks for the warning text. We were starting to get worried.”

“Yeah, sorry. Nico got tied up checking out a potential new rival at school.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Nico isn’t worried. Then poor Maki-chan had such a rough time that… well… Nico couldn’t just leave her alone.”

“Onee-san is so kind,” Cocoro replied, following up with questioning smirk, “Or is Onee-san making up for something she did?”

Nico snorted, handing off a few bags and saying in a lowered tone, “Not this time. Nico wishes, though. Don’t tell the others, but Maki-chan has been having a really REALLY super rough time. Since Maki-chan’s been so good to Nico, I was hoping we could spoil her a little.”

“Is she okay?” Cocoro asked, seeming to accept the story and the implied seriousness, “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Just be yourselves,” Nico replied, her heart warming despite the vague sense of guilt that her duplicity always brought. This lie came far too easily anymore. Nico leaned in to touch foreheads since her arms were busy, “Nico may be the number one idol, but she has the number one best family in the universe.”

“Onee-san…”

“Come on, let’s… try to find some room for all of this.”

 

\-------------------

 

Nico wasn’t letting Maki anywhere near the kitchen. Not when she could return to the punch-drunk dizzy-sleepy state at any time. No, Cocoro was on duty to focus Cocoa and Cotaro’s full attention on the redhead, keeping everyone occupied while the number one idol prepared her family a super-pasta mega feast. Hopefully Mama wouldn’t be too late tonight. It’d be a shame if she missed out on this while it warm.

“Oh… crap.” Nico murmured to herself, “I totally forgot to tell Mama about Maki-chan.”

Looking out into the living room, Cotaro was trying to get the redhead to display her skills on a his multi-colored xylophone while Cocoa was trying her best to paint the redhead’s toenails. The crown of the moment was the sheer level of concentration on Maki’s face as she tried to make due with so few notes. Her tongue was sticking out to the side as Cotaro just stared in awe.

The sight was definitely doing things to Nico’s heart that she was in no way prepared for. Not that she was prepared for any of this. This whole venture was so far out of her usual scope that she wondered whether there might be something to Nozomi and Maki’s claims of magical influence.

Had things gone any differently… had Nozomi not been around, had she not felt so embarrassed at the underclassman’s beyond bizarre reaction to spotting her that she’d charged after, had the redhead not been so completely okay and even accustomed to the idea of such a depressing evening. Every part of it, down to the tone and wording Maki had used… so many unlikely factors coming together to provoke this very unlikely situation into existence. What else could you call it but magic? Fate?

There was definitely something magical happening right before her. How the redhead was managing to get that much flourish into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on that dinky thing was beyond Nico’s comprehension. She knew her siblings could be a bit much, which was part of why she’d never brought her non-existent close friends from class home with her. Who knew their antics could breathe so much life into someone?

Enough time had passed to thaw the chicken, so Nico settled in to start chopping the mushrooms and the vegetables, moving on auto and having trouble taking her eyes off of their guest. Cocoro slid in beside her, “Need a hand?”

Nico jumped a little, not having noticed her approach. “Actually, yeah. You mind taking over here so I can get the sauce simmering?” Her chopping had gotten a little closer to her fingers than she’d liked.

“Got it,” Cocoro replied, going through a bit slower, but likely much safer than Nico had been. The two busied themselves for a few minutes before Cocoro spoke up again, “I think I like her.”

“Oh?”

“You never talk about your friends from school, so I’m glad you have someone so nice supporting you.”

“A super idol has the support of everyone,” Nico chimed in a sing-song voice.

“Maybe, but it’s a different kind of support, isn’t it? Admiration is different from friendship... ”

Nico remained silent.

“I’ve always thought you were amazing, being able to handle so much on your own. This doesn’t change that, but it definitely makes me happier.”

“When did Cocoro get to thinking about such things? Worrying about your super idol older sister~”

“It’s hard work. I’ve done research here and there. The more I learn, the more I realize how impressive you really are, Onee-san.”

Restraining a surge of anxiety, Nico struggled to keep her voice level and light when replying, “Be careful what you look up, Cocoro. There’s a lot of bad things out there I’d like for you to not worry about until you’re older. Nico is fine and safe, but other idols have had a hard time.”

With a lowered voice, Cocoro asked with a worried brow, “Is your friend one of those people?”

“No, Maki-chan has different troubles,” Nico said, nuzzling her forehead against her sister’s, relief at the topic change running deep, “Nothing a little Nico magic won’t help though.”

Cocoro beamed with pride, nuzzling back.

 

\-------------------

 

Mama Yazawa definitely didn’t get home until later which, for once, Nico was grateful for.

Dinner had been amazing, loaded with compliments, multiple helpings for healthy Yazawa appetites, and banter that continued to surprise and impress. Cotaro and Cocoa had really taken to Maki, keeping her mind engaged with countless questions and physical contact. The redhead’s hands were a kaleidoscope of nail polish speckling and her hair a hilarious mimicry of Nico’s own trademarked super-idol twin-tail with a third tiny tail just off-center. She had changed out of her uniform and into a beat up T-shirt/shorts combo that now had three blotches of tomato-sauce stains. Only one of those had been her own fault. Maki bore it all with the patience of a lazy lioness being bombarded by its cubs.

Homework was left forgotten as Nico remembered her father’s old Casio, collecting dust in Mama’s closet. A mad scramble for batteries later led to a private concert where the amazing technicolor Nishikino sang and played a few old anime openings, a few dizzyingly impressive classical pieces, and an original piece focusing on celebrating having been in love that brought genuine tears to Nico and Cocoro’s eyes.

She played to the enthusiastic crowd until she drifted off mid-song at around 8:00PM. Nico knew that level of swaying meant it was time for their guest to head to bed.

“That’s… probably a good idea,” Maki replied, barely able to meet Nico’s eyes yet still smiling broadly, “It’s kinda early still and I don’t wanna get in the way… but I can definitely move to the couch later when everyone else crashes.”

“Maki-chan can use my bed!” Cocoa squealed from her perch on Maki’s back.

“Mine too,” Cotaro offered, making a wide gesture with her hands as if it would take both beds to contain the larger girl.

“That’s sweet of you both, but you’ll jump all over her all night. Maki-chan needs to sleep, so she’ll be in Nico’s room tonight,” Nico began, pausing to place a finger on Maki’s lips to shush her, “All night. No complaints. Nico’s super idol decree.”

Nico pulled her hand away, feeling hyper aware of the contact that had intended to only come close. Maki’s eyes widening ever so slightly let her know she wasn’t alone in that, “Does Maki-chan need help getting to Nico’s room?”

“Maki doesn’t know where Nico-chan’s room is,” she replied, mussing Cotaro’s hair who was seated in her lap.

Nico snapped what must have been the twelfth surprise candid shot of the night, drawing yet another laughing, “Mou!” from Maki.

Nico helped Maki to her feet, surprised by how much weight the redhead entrusted to her. Maybe she was really just that spent. Nico waited while Cocoa, Cotaro, and Cocoro passed along their wishes for swift sleep and sweet dreams, keeping a close eye on Maki’s expressions through the interactions. She still couldn’t believe how earnest the redhead was being with them.

“You wait here. Nico has to make sure Maki-chan doesn’t fall asleep on the way to the bed.”

Maki snorted and replied, “That actually happened like, a week or two ago.”

“See? Talented musicians are a mess. Don’t let this happen to you.”

“Don’t you want me to clean up your nails?” Cocoa asked, trying to keep the older girl around just a little longer.

“No way. I’m going to school like this. Everyone’ll be jealous,” Maki replied, looking down her arm at the mess with pride that Nico wasn’t sure was a joke.

“Good night~” was shared one last time before Nico guided the slightly larger, slightly heavier, somewhat curvier girl the short distance to the clearly labeled door. Nico endured the snort from her kouhai as she took in the decor, too busy trying to ignore the feeling of what was pressing into where or how warm and strong the other girl’s grip on her shoulder was.

Once the door was closed behind them, Nico said in a low tone, “That went better than expected. They really liked Maki-chan.”

Nico turned and sat the both of them on the bed as Maki tightened her grip, upgrading it to a one-armed hug, as she replied, “I really… really like them.”

Nico weakly returned the gesture before rising to her feet to face the dazed redhead. She remained close, feeling the tide from earlier rising once more as she reached into Maki’s hair to undo the multitude of redundant hair ties that Cocoa had left behind. “She really did a number up here. Do you need a brush?”

“Mm… maybe in the morning. Too tired right now. I’d probably try brushing my eyebrows or something.”

Nico took a turn to snort, but forgot to after locking eyes with the girl before her. Those sharp yet soft violet eyes. “Maybe Maki-chan would like me to brush it for her?”

Nico felt Maki’s hands lay loose at her waist as she watched her mouth form the words, “You don’t need to do that… but I wouldn’t say no.”

“Maki-chan wants to be spoiled a little, eh?” Nico replied, surprised that her voice came out so evenly when she was sure her heart was in her throat. She’d finished removing half of the ties as she felt Maki’s thumbs sliding up and down her sides.

“Nico-chan offered,” Maki explained subtly leaning forward, “an’ yeah. I bet it’d feel nice. This feels nice right now.”

This was… something new. Anything this intimate on anyone other than family on its own would be uncharted territory… but there were feelings and connotations at play that made this… surprisingly intense. It’s not like she’d never been attracted to someone before, but… this was different. This was happening. Right now. Literally in front of her. Most of her family right outside the door. There was too much power in her hands right now and too little in her kouhai’s. Maybe it was the other way around.

It felt dangerous.

She was just so… stupidly pretty.

“Nico will after she checks to make sure Cotaro doesn’t flush Cocoa down the toilet or something.”

A soft giggle and a nod. There had been a similar emergency just an hour earlier with a toy mallet. “Thank you…”

“Not a problem,” Nico said, taking longer than necessary to finger-brush out the tangles left behind. Fingers brushing her cheeks unnecessarily. She caught herself brushing her thumbs over Maki’s eyebrows, drawing a long, sleepy, contented sigh.

Nico pulled away.

“You lay down now. Make yourself comfortable. Nico is going to stay up to wait for Mama to let her know that Maki-chan is here.”

“Mm’kay,” Maki drawled, turning and crawling further onto the bed.

Nico walked away, certain her face and chest were on fire. She closed the door behind her, leaned against it for a moment, let out a very deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

 

\-------------------

 

It wasn’t until 10:00 that Ikuko Yazawa got home. She arrived with a weary and muted “I’m home,” likely to avoid waking up the younger children. True to form, Nico was the only one up, a tub of birthday cake ice cream on her lap, though it was quickly abandoned in favor of enthusiastic mom-hugs.

“MMMM, there’s my super-idol supergirl. How was your day, sweetheart?”

“Crazy, Mama. Today, was absolutely 100% crazy. I need to talk to you about it, if you’re feeling up to it. Dinner is waiting on the table. I’ve got it warmed up for you.”

“Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah!” Nico blurted, “Definitely! I mean, mostly. Some of it’s not right, but everything’s fine here.”

Ikuko laughed and mussed Nico’s hair as they made their way to the table. “Wow. Honey. Special occasion? Are you trying to butter me up?”

“Don’t worry, we’re still good on the budget. This is part of it though. The thing. She’s in my room.”

“She?” Ikuko asked, an eyebrow raised, “Did you bring a friend from school home?”

“Kinda…”

“Honey, that’s great! Did she survive the others?”

“Well, yeah actually. They all played together while I made dinner. She paid for this as a thank you. Got us ice cream too.”

Ikuko whistled as Nico continued, “They love her. She seems to like them too. I’m sorry I didn’t ask first but… but Maki-chan…”

“Her name is Maki?”

“Yeah. Nishikino Maki.”

“Nishikino? Like the hospital?”

“Yup. Her parents run the hospital… or own it… or something.”

“Ooo~ You should go to her place sometime. It’ll give you ideas on how much space you’ll have after you make it big~”

“Mama… Ack, I got off track! But yeah. I brought her home because she passed out at school!”

“Shouldn’t she have gone to the hospital for that?” Ikuko asked between bites, “This is really good by the way. My little Nico is such a great cook.”

“Thanks,” Nico replied, taking a moment to scoop some ice cream into her mouth, “Nozomi and I took her to the nurse’s, but there was no one there!”

“Really? When was this?”

“After class. Apparently the school can’t afford to keep them late enough for clubs.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Right? But yeah, apparently this is just a thing that happens with her! She has trouble sleeping until her body just gives out!”

“Mama sympathizes.”

“She hadn’t slept for over three days!”

“... Okay, that actually sounds serious.”

“It does! Her parents don’t even seem to care!”

“I hear that happens sometimes. Not everyone raises their children the same, you know.”

“It makes me so mad. Maki-chan is really nice!”

“She must be for you to be so concerned.”

“She doesn’t even act like it’s a bad thing!”

“Well, she’s probably lived with this for a long time,” Ikuko explained, breaking away from the plate to more fully watch Nico’s reactions to all of this, “Is this someone you’ve known for long?”

“... No, she... just recently transferred. I thought she was kind of weird… and she is, but I like her.”

Ikuko smiled, “I’m so glad you’ve made a friend you’re okay with having over, even if it’s because of an emergency. Mama’s worried about her little Nico.”

“Mama… Cocoro said the same thing…”

“Cocoro-chan’s been calling herself Mama?”

“No!” Nico laughed, “That she’s been worried…”

“She’s getting older, so it makes sense she’d start noticing how lonely Nico is.”

Nico looked down at her ice cream and took another bite, “Nico isn’t lonely.”

“Well, you should bring your friends over more often then. I’d love to meet them.”

“So you’re not mad at me? I didn’t ask first…”

“If the others like her, I’m sure I’ll like her too. I trust you. I’ve trusted you all this time with the most important people in my life. That’s you, Cocoro, Cocoa, and Cotaro. If Maki is alright by you and your siblings like her, then she must be a good person.”

“... Thanks Mama….”

“You should get to bed,” Ikuko said, reaching over to squeeze her daughter’s hand, “Mama will clean up. This is really good and just the pick-me-up that Mama needed.”

“Maki-chan bought us ice cream too. Yours is in the freezer.”

“I’ll have to thank her when you introduce us.”

“I love you, Mama.”

“Mama loves you too. So much. I’m so proud of you. Go get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning… and Mama should be home before you tomorrow.”

“That’ll be really nice,” Nico said, though she wasn’t sure how she wanted to address everything roaring in her heart, “I’ll introduce you to her in the morning.”

“Mama looks forward to it.”

 

\-------------------

 

Nico glared at her reflection.

She’d brushed her teeth. Washed her face. Re-brushed her teeth. Brushed her hair and left it all down. Rinsed with mouthwash. Checked her pores. Touched up her contouring and resealed. There was literally nothing left for her to do on a night where she didn’t full-facemask.

Why was she so afraid of going back into that room?

She practiced expressions in the mirror, ranging from overjoyed to enraged, snarky to heartbroken. None reflected this apprehension. She was graduating this year. She’d gone this far without having something like this happen. Not with anyone within reach. She’d daydreamed of entourages of exquisitely attractive and well built boys, forged in the fires of rigorous dance routines. She’d imagined luxurious and scandalous outings with the most wildly attractive talents in this or any other country, male and female.

It’s easy when it’s all in your head. Everything always went so smoothly. There wasn’t real apprehension or fear of something… anything going wrong. You’d play out a fantasy and put it away when you were done with it. You could go along with your business. You could do anything you wanted, however you wanted, without any real concern about how the other person would feel.

Right now, the most pressing thing on Nico’s mind and her heart was what that girl in her room was feeling… and she didn’t even know what that was!

She barely knew her. Everything that happened today could just be an exhaustion-produced fever dream as far as Maki could be concerned. Who was to say that the person she’d spent her afternoon with, the person her beloved siblings were so enamored with, the person who had so casually hooked her way into Nico in so many ways… 

Who was to say that person was real?

“Like I’ve been all day?” Nico murmured to herself, flipping her hair to watch it fall.

So flat. So lifeless. So dark. It wasn’t until she’d gotten in character a little to cheer the redhead up that things had started going smoothly. Hell, she hadn’t been truly open with Cotaro and the girls for over two years. Maybe the person that Maki had been so warm with wasn’t her, but the person she’d pretended to be?

Suddenly, the angry expression in the mirror was genuine. “It hasn’t even been half a day. What the hell is wrong with you? Get it together.”

Idols are for everyone. Idols don’t date. Especially not cute and awkward redheads that like your family and look at you with soft eyes, touch you warm strong hands, and…

“Shut it. You’re going go in there, you’re going to grab your pillow, and then you’re going to go to sleep on the floor and figure this out in the morning. Alright? Alright. Good. Glad we had this talk.”

Nico turned, opened the door, shut off the light, stalked down the hall, and opened her door without hesitation.

She then immediately closed it and leaned against it to process what she’d seen. Maki hadn’t really moved. She wasn’t even under the covers. It looked like she’d managed to toss her shirt on the floor and had started to crawl back toward the pillows before passing out on the way. Cloth shorts, dark pink bra, and legs for days aimed at the door. She wasn’t even that tall! How could she have legs like those?

Nico took a moment longer to prepare herself. It’s not like she hadn’t seen hundreds of bared legs before in the past. She went to an all girls school with short skirts as part of the uniform! This was stupid. She was being stupid. Maki’s legs were being stupid. They should be under Nico’s soft warm blankets instead of being lazily crossed facing Nico’s door.

A breath more and Nico walked in. The night-light on her vanity left a soft warm glow throughout the candy-cane room. The air fresheners were doing a great job of maintaining that saturated strawberry scent. All in all, it was her room as usual. Nothing to get worked up or uncomfortable over. Nico padded over to the bed, studiously maintaining an eye lock on her pillows, where only a faint wisp of red hair was visible.

“Nnn… Nico-chan?” Maki groaned as the girl in question approached.

“H… hey, Nico thought Maki-chan would have been asleep by now…” Nico said, giving up stealth and just grabbing the pillow, “Don’t tell me you’ve been awake this whole time.”

“Whole time? Didn’t you just leave? I thought maybe you forgot something.”

“Wow. Maki-chan sleeps hard when she gets there. You’ve been out for a few hours.”

Maki rolled over a few times, orienting herself to lay on the bed a little more traditionally. When she stopped, she had made room for Nico and was burying her face in the remaining pillow face-down. “It smells nice in here,” Nico heard her say, muffled by the cushion.

“I’m glad you like it,” Nico replied, standing still and trying to figure out what she was going to do now. It was hard to think on much outside of the curve of the other girl’s back, the blades of her shoulders, and the way her neck descended between.

“I’m glad you woke me up though… I wanted to tell you about the thing.”

“What thing?”

“If I don’t tell you about your secret I’ll feel guilty,” Maki complained, looking up with her sleepy eyes.

Oh yeah. That.

“Nico is more interested in Maki-chan’s secret, but sure. I’m game. Tell Nico what Nico’s secret is. If Maki-chan is wrong though, there’ll be a punishment game~”

Maki snorted and rolled over again, sitting up enough to lean on her elbows, “What’re you gonna do? After seeing this room, I’m pretty sure the worst you could do is make me listen to Puni Puni Pawprint.”

“Ugh!” Nico recoiled, grateful for the snark despite how attractively it was delivered, “I’ll have you know I have way better taste than that.”

Maki grinned in replay, letting herself fall back again onto the pillow so she could exaggerate her air quotes, “It doesn’t matter anyway. “Maki-chan” is right. I’ve been thinking about ever since I saw you in the theatre.”

She snapped her finger to point at the vanity while keeping her eyes on the canopy above, “Have a seat over there, I need the light and the mirror to make my point.”

“Uh oh, Maki-chan’s going to show Nico a magic trick.”

Nico complied, taking a moment to flip her hair over the back of the chair and to concentrate on her own face and not the reflection of the over-half naked girl coming up behind her. She couldn’t help but shiver as Maki idly dragged her fingers down through its length as she leaned over her shoulder.

“Actually, I’m going to show you two… well... technically one. The other I’m going to reveal the secret behind.”

“Smooth.”

“It really is,” Maki replied, running her fingers through her hair again. She leaned over Nico and flipped the vanity’s light switch, bringing attention to all the checkies and printed selfies of her favorite makeup and outfit moments. Most of these featured at least one other Yazawa. Nico bumped Maki with her temple when she saw her getting distracted by the array.

“Sorry. So, look at yourself in the mirror.”

“Okay. Is this your secret or mine?”

Nico’s eye twitched at Maki’s physical answer. The hand that had previously been dragging through her hair was now tracing a line down her cheek down to her jawline. The significance of it struck home a moment later.

“Ah.”

“Nico-chan is hiding something very pretty behind some high quality contouring.”

“Pretty?”

“I was in the nurse’s office a while back. You were laid out and I got a really good look… right here,” Maki continued, now tracing her finger back and forth along the line of her jaw and up to her earlobe, “I thought it was really weird how someone would hide such an honestly beautiful feature and turn it into something completely different. I get it now, that you’re going for cute over beautiful.”

Maki draped herself over Nico’s shoulders from behind, smiling lazily and drawing all of the heat to Nico’s cheeks, “But you can’t fool me. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. You’re pretty both ways anyway.”

“Th… thank you,” Nico stammered, trying her best to ignore how much of her was stirred on by Maki’s half-lidded gaze, “Maki-chan should be careful with those eyes.”

Maki paused, looking confused for a moment before shrugging it off, “Actually, that plays into my secret.”

“What, you hypnotize innocent maidens with them?”

Maki snorted into Nico’s shoulder, not fully pulling away so that when she spoke, Nico could feel every movement of her lips, “Nope. It’s a lot like yours actually… only completely reversed. Swap me spots?”

Nico’s body was nearly vibrating with anxious relief and dismay as Maki pulled away. She stood, gestured and replied, “All yours. Make some magic, Maki-chan~”

That was when Nico first noticed a few new items on the table, strewn from a bag that must be her guest’s. As Maki pulled out a bottle and a cloth, Nico figured ‘what the hell’ and draped herself over Maki as Maki had with her. The late hour must be screwing with her resolve.

Maki covered the top of the bottle with the cloth. Makeup remover, and pretty strong too. She leaned her head back and to the side, pressing her full-bodied hair into Nico’s cheek as she said, “Nico-chan hides something pretty by turning it into something cute. Zero sum, just a different connotation. You’re really good at it, by the way. The only reason I spotted it was because I saw it up close.”

“Mine’s not so pretty,” Maki yawned, making deep, high-pressure swipes along her eyes.

“Whoa…” Nico heard herself say.

“Pretty wild, right? It took a while to find a concealer that worked so well with my skintone,” Maki explained as she started in on the other side. Soon, the dark undercuts and bruising around her eyes was revealed. Dark purples and reds ran around the entirety of her eyes, from the underside of her brow, to her temples, down to the tops of her nostrils.

“Still think my eyes are dangerous?” Maki grinned, nuzzling her head against Nico’s, “You’re the fourth person to ever see it after it got this bad. Real treat, eh?”

“Does it hurt?” Nico asked, starting to reach for the reflection before leaning forward enough to see the real thing.

Maki turned her head to accommodate, now looking atrociously tired to a costume-makeup level… only costumes would be more consistent in what color was where. Maki brushed a few red strands out of her face that immediately fell back into place and replied, “Sometimes. Usually just an ache in the eyes. Eyedrops help a lot with that.”

Close enough to feel Maki’s breath, warm and even, Nico reached around and re-brushed those strands, tucking them under to keep them still. “Maki-chan’s secret is very impressive. Nico will keep it safe…”

Maki’s eyes were aimed at her jaw again. She had turned a little more so her hand could reach and brush against its line again, “Your secret is just so pretty...”

“I think… ” Nico whispered… and then her lips were on Maki’s. Then Maki’s lips were on her. Then Nico was on Maki’s lap, kissing her all over her face and losing her fingers in her hair. Maki, gasping kisses along Nico’s collar, pulling apart the snaps of her pajamas as her hands hungrily sought out more.

The chair was too restrictive. Nico found her back against the floor, wildly painted nails dragging along her skin and full awkward lips fumbling over her own. Nico’s nails became as claws, pulling away cloth and leaving red lines in skin. The room silent save for gasping breath, smacking lips, and the blood pounding in their ears.

Somehow, they ended up on the bed, tangled and passionate. Accidentally pulling hair and only growing more ferocious for it. Every hesitation on one’s side was met with enthusiastic encouragement by the other. Whispers of praise, admiration, and direction flowed easily and were punctuated by gasps and excited giggling as the two learned more and more about the other… and then made sure to drive the other wild with it.

Forever and a moment later, Nico was draped over Maki. Her head resting on the redhead’s shoulder, her arm providing Maki a measure of modesty while its hand caressed the exhausted girl’s cheek. Maki had long since passed out, looking far more peaceful than Nico had ever seen her.

She watched her breathe for a while, knowing that this would be complicated in the morning… but for now, she could only feel warm and relaxed.

Happy.

When Nico woke, Maki was gone. 

 

\-------------------

 

A/N:  
I've never known artistic people to be patient when it comes to their passions.  
Tomorrow will be interesting.  
Thank you for reading.


	6. The Morning After

The first thing consciousness brought was warmth and the scent of strawberries. The rest of her senses filtered in, but not in their traditionally abrupt way. No alarm blaring, no panicked scrambling from a nightmare… just… mental processes pulling up and saying, "Hey… we're good on sleep. Let's get moving!"

It was the first time Maki woke up for school with a smile on her face in years. She just felt so… indescribably good. Like her body was laced with coffee, heating packs, and ice cream. Like she'd spent a day at a spa and Mama had ordered the works. She opened her eyes to a room dimly lit by night-light. The clock read 5:45, which was helpful since the candy cane room decor didn't include a window. Her early alarm was still a little ways off and now, thankfully, totally un-needed.

Maki stretched, groaning with the same deep-seeded satisfaction that her body seemed to be saturated with. Satisfaction, she wagered, that had a lot to do with the lithe figure still draped over her. Maki had always felt that she generated enough heat on her own, but Yazawa Nico was apparently a little furnace. Probably the reason they'd both kicked off most of their covers overnight and had left their clothes wherever they'd tossed them.

Maki sighed, a deep rumble of satisfaction as she laced her fingers through Nico's hair. She knew the anxieties and uncertainties would come knocking later. Hell, even waking up to this situation should have her under three levels of freak-out. Right now? There was just an almost intimidating level of affection and the itch to roll Nico over and kiss her silly. Maybe add to the numerous marks she'd left, intentional and unintentional. She actually had to bite her lip to keep herself from doing just that.

Looking at those tiny bruises, several mirrored on herself, further cemented the wisps of yesterday's memories with a weird sense of pride. Maki carefully untangled her legs and slid from under Nico's arm, making sure to put a pillow in her place. A few more stretches to work the kinks out in front of the mirror helped to assess what marks did and did not require special measures to hide. Apparently Nico had been far more careful about that… her attentions were clearly more intimately discriminate.

Maki made a round of the room, finding her after-school clothing and triple checking herself to make sure nothing was exposed. ... She was still smiling. It felt weird to be looking in the mirror and see that, particularly without having her concealer applied. It was an expression for composing and playing… and little else. She liked it. She left the makeup process for later and her hair a wild mess. She even tousled it a bit for fun. Maki was pretty sure Nico still owed her a brushing and it'd be fun to tease her about it. For now, there was the oncoming static of a caffeine headache that needed to be staved off and Maki had spotted the cure last night.

Maki lingered only a minute to watch Nico snore. If she gave in and kissed her, it would just wake her up. The giddy, bouncy, excited energy coursing through her not only wanted that (and what might come after), it was practically demanding it. Maki may have had a bad run regarding impulse control lately, but right now she was rested and coherent. She wasn't about to give the beautiful fairytale princess before her any reason to regret last night's decision.

Maki slipped into the hallway. The lights were out, but her phone provided enough to get back to the kitchen. She padded lightly as the carpet gave way to tile, shivering at the chill as she directed the camera's glow to the coffee pot. It was an unfamiliar model, but thankfully all the required filters, grounds, and mugs were sitting next to it on the counter. A quick internet search brought up its directions and soon the machine was humming and bubbling.

Each of the mugs had been personalized by hand. It was easy enough to tell whose was whose and each one deepened her smile. Maki plucked Nico's pink bunny, hearts and star-covered cup from the cozy and turned to face the table and living room beyond. Not much had been cleaned up after she had been practically carried back to bed. It was a little strange to see the room without light or activity. It still felt comfortable, though. Lived in. Cotaro's mallet left in the sink, Cocoa's nail polish on the living room table, Cocoro's homework spread out on the couch. Maki brought Nico's cup to her lips, seeing if there was a preferred drink that had left a scent and hoping that this would be the first of many… many evenings spent with the lively Yazawas.

Hot chocolate and spearmint. No surprise there, but still a precious tidbit of Nico trivia. Maki was adrift in completely foreign and exciting territory. She'd always known that the end-of-cycle was not a good time to make decisions, particularly important ones. She couldn't even remember all of yesterday very clearly. She couldn't remember anything at all from mid-way through the second year girls's performance until right before hitting the grocery store with Nico. Something had happened during that blackout that clearly made a huge impression on her host. Had the older girl intended for things to go this way all along? Maki certainly didn't feel like she'd been pulled in as an ‘easy mark.' Last night had just been so… honest? There was awkwardness and uncertainty. Hesitation for permission. Confidence that only came after encouragement. Not the kind of thing she'd expect from someone experienced or looking to take advantage of her.

Thoughts of last night threatened to dominate her thoughts, so she took another whiff of the mug to bring her back to the present. There would be plenty of time to bask in all that later... and oh did she intend to bask. She only had a little bit of time alone before other people would be up. She needed a game plan. What would all of yesterday mean today? She kept her nose in the mug as she imagined what might be in her near future.

Homework would be difficult with all the ruckus, but she was more of a night owl anyway. Cotaro and the girls probably had reasonable bedtimes, so post-juku homework wouldn't be an issue. They had a perfectly serviceable Casio, though if she wanted the bells and whistles she'd have to bring the Yamaha over. That'd be a pain to lug over... but It'd be safe in Nico's room if the kids weren't careful around electronics. Also, with their work schedules it's not like her parents would miss her around the house. She hadn't even seen Waki in months.

Nico was here too. Weird, stalkery, manic, responsible, cranky, doting, nerdy, beautiful, cutesy, passionate Nico. She'd only had one evening interacting with her… at the nasty end of an insomnia cycle… and it had been so wonderful...

She wanted this.

She had to lean against the counter as the strength of that want hit home. The sound of coffee trickling into the pot only barely kept her from getting swept away completely. Every single thought she just had, had been made with the assumption that this would continue. That this was the beginning of a "Relationship." Out of order as may be. Despite all the rough parts, yesterday had been… transformative. As long as Nico didn't suddenly decide that a well-rested Maki was repelling and chase her away, Maki decided, then and there, that she'd fight for this as hard as she fought for her music.

She'd make this work. She'd maintain her grades (meaning she'd excel), write music, continue pursuing fluency in piano, study medicine, play with Yazawa children, inherit the hospital, be friends with and make love to Yazawa Nico, make her parents proud… and drink coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Like… plug in a steady IV of it.

Maki was in the middle of pouring her first cup of the day when light erupted around her. She stumbled, but managed to avoid spilling anything. The fact that she hadn't thought to just turn the light on to begin with may suggest she still wasn't as coherent as she thought. Maki blinked away the temporary blindness and quickly found the culprit, who looked:  
A: Very surprised  
B: Like a slightly older Nico, down to the same styling of her bangs.  
C: Very sleepy.  
D: Like she must be Nico's "Greatest Person You'll Ever Meet" Mother.

"Good morning…" the woman began, also squinting from the sudden light, "You would be Maki, right?

"Good morning. That's right. Nishikino Maki, I'm pleased to meet you," Maki replied the formal greeting flowing on auto. After a pause and a blink, she continued "It's amazing how much Nico-chan takes after you. I thought you were her at first."

"I get that a lot, and every time I take it as a compliment," Ikuko replied with an easy smile, "My little Nico-chan is pretty adorable."

"She really is," Maki agreed, matching the woman's smile and asking "Would you like a cup?"

"I would."

"How do you take it?" Maki asked before sipping hers black.

"Two spoons of sugar and ¼ of the mug with milk."

Maki set to the task, pulling the top mug (#1 Greatest Mom in the Universe) and kept the conversation rolling. "I'm glad we could meet like this since I missed you last night. Nico-chan really helped me out yesterday despite the inconvenience. She didn't have to do that, but I'm very grateful."

Maki stirred and then brought both mugs to the table, setting one in front of the woman who was watching her so carefully, "I wanted to praise her a little without embarrassing her."

Maki caught the older woman's smile before it hid behind the mug, "Oh, you shouldn't worry. That girl just loves praise."

"I'll keep that in mind," Maki replied, taking a seat.

"Nico told me a little about you last night, but not much. She was rather excited and worn out, so I didn't get a very clear picture."

"What would you like to know?" Maki asked, feeling a glimmer of pride in that after so many shameful weeks of falling apart she could still turn on the professional face, "I'd be happy to clear up what I can."

"Well, I know who you are," Ikuko began, ticking off the items via finger, "I know who your parents are. I've heard enough to assume you suffer from severe insomnia… though your eyes are giving that away rather clearly."

Right. Makeup. Whatever. Didn't matter. Particularly after the woman's follow-up, "What I'd really like to know is how long you and my daughter have been dating."

Maki was suddenly glad the question came in-between sips. It'd hurt to choke on coffee this hot. Her mind tried to race, but instead stumbled over itself in panic. What had Nico told her? When had she told her? Had she and Nico made the decision to date during the blackout? Oh shit, that would be terrible! She wanted to remember that!

"Papa isn't with us anymore, so I have to play his part as well. You'll have to forgive me," the woman continued, seeming to enjoy Maki's reaction, "There's actually quite a few related questions that will follow, so take your time. Collect your thoughts."

Maki's face must have betrayed her sudden spike of fear because the woman quickly followed up with, "I'm not mad. Nico-chan has good judgement, this is just a parental formality. You must be a remarkable young woman to have made such an impact. My little Nico-chan had always spoken poorly of dating in the past."

"I'm… Well… I'm not actually sure if we are yet," Maki admitted, choosing honesty over convenience, "Dating, that is…"

Ikuko blinked and set her coffee down. With a much deeper, more deadpan, voice she continued, "Come again?"

"Yesterday was the first time we talked to one another…"

A deep breath, "... Okay."

Maki looked at her mug, frustrated that she wasn't conveying the depth of significance behind what actually happened. She tried to elaborate, "But we talked a lot. More than I think I've talked to anyone combined in the past couple years… and about more personal things than I've ever shared. That kind of thing is… difficult for me."

Speaking it aloud was exhilarating. Terrifying… but nowhere near as heart racing as what followed, "While she didn't speak much on herself, she showed me her home, her family. Things that are clearly the world to her. I… would like the opportunity to get to know her better. The smaller, subtler things. Even more, I think, if it was through dating."

Well... okay then. That's in the air now.

Ikuko took a deep breath and quietly whistled at her coffee. She took deep sip to seemingly collect her thoughts. The mug returned to the table and the woman's lip became a thin line. Her brow furrowed as she leaned forward, "So. You really like my little Nico-chan?"

"Very much," Maki confirmed with smile, "I also really like Cocoa, Cotaro, and Cocoro… though, not the same way obviously."

"Obviously."

"I know it's way too early to say these things so confidently, but I know I want to spend so much more time with everyone. I'm sorry if I'm intruding."

"If there's one thing a person can be confident in, it's about how they feel," Ikuko sighed before nodding toward Maki's hand, "Was that Cocoa?"

Maki smiled, her tension melting a little while the happy butterflies remained, "Yeah. You should see my toes. It was a lot of fun."

"Nico told me that you got on well with them. For that alone I'd be happy to have you back… but I am concerned."

When it became clear that Maki was waiting for her to continue, Ikuko continued, "Like I said, Nico has never showed interest in dating before. Same-sex relationship challenges aside, she has big dreams that actually contradict her ability to date. While she was talking to me last night, she showed a lot of emotion and excitement toward you, but I didn't really pick up on romantic interest. More concern than anything."

Maki felt her confidence waver, but the sensation was quickly forgotten in favor of raw panic as Ikuko continued, "Imagine my surprise when not even an hour later I hear the two of you being… enthusiastic."

The woman appeared very satisfied with whatever was left of Maki's face after the blush tsunami struck. She continued to drive her knowledge home with what was clearly teasing, saying, "I won't ask about protection, I imagine you were each other's firsts. So, is that what you meant when you want to get to know her better? What exactly do you want out of a relationship with my little girl?"

"I… ah…" Maki began, heart-in-throat and eyes frantic. "That… I need to… that depends on..."

Suddenly, Nico burst into view from the hallway. Her pajamas looked hastily tossed on, the top's buttons completely misaligned from haste. She wore an expression of panic until she locked eyes on the scene that awaited her. She breathed a sigh of relief and started padded over at a much more casual pace, "Jeez Maki-chan! I was afraid you got up and left without saying goodbye!"

Just like that, the panic was gone. The warmth was back and Maki was able to answer confidently, "I'd just like for us to be happy."

"That's a very good answer, Nishikino Maki," Ikuko replied, matching Maki's smile, "Good morning sweetheart. You're up early."

"Morning, Mama. I see you've met Maki-chan," Nico ventured cautiously.

"I have! Would you like Mama to make breakfast this morning so you can take your time getting ready for the day?"

"Nico never says no to Mama's breakfast," she replied, much perkier. She hip-bumped Maki and added, "You're gonna love this."

"Thank you, I'm in your care," Maki chimed in with a nod towards Nico's mother.

"No need to be so formal," Ikuko said, waving off the words as if they smelled, "Go on. Get dressed. Both of you. Mama'll yell when it's ready."

"Will do~" Maki heard Nico chirp as she shot the rest of her coffee. She smiled her thanks as she went to rinse out the mug, feeling very positive about the earlier conversation… and excited to have more alone time with Nico, even if it was just a little. Mama Yazawa must have been reading her mind because she swore she saw a wink as she followed Nico back to her room.

… Did that count as a blessing?

She'd take it as a blessing.

"Maki-chan really scared Nico for a minute there," the smaller girl complained as they approached her room, "Disappearing like Cinderella… only without a slipper."

"If anyone here's the storybook princess, Nico-chan…" Maki replied, reaching up to playfully twirl her hair "It'd be the girl with the candy cane room..."

Nico stared at the gesture for a moment, hesitating at the door with a half-smile. Maki continued, much more quietly, "... and the fair skin... long hair... bright eyes..."

Bright and now very wide, with cheeks trying to catch up in color. Nico just kept feeding this confidence as Maki approached and reached for the doorknob, temporarily backing Nico up against the door, "Thank you again… last night was amazing."

When the door opened, Nico very quickly backpedaled inside, "N-no problem, Maki-chan. Nico knew her family would impress."

‘Nico's flustered face is pretty cute too,' Maki mused to herself, the thought fueling her smile as she closed the door behind her and approached. "They did… though… that's not quite what I was getting at…"

Nico had backed up against the chair by her vanity, eyes somehow widening further at the contact, "In that case… umm… thank you too?"

Maki thrilled at the strangely docile way Nico accepted her hands on her hips, excitement mostly winning over the fear that the dream called "last night" wouldn't carry over into the real world. Maki ignored the heat in her own cheeks to say, "You're very welcome," before mirroring the initiative Nico had shown last night. Far more gentle than before, Nico confirmed that the feeling was mutual, making Maki's heart feel like it would burst. Shuddering sighs, Nico leaned into her, tracing her fingers from Maki's cheeks up into her hair as she softly deepened the kiss. Maki was half-way down the mismatched snaps of her top when the older girl crinkled her nose and made a face.

The expression and sudden pull-away lost its bite with the laugh in her voice, "Ewwww, coffee breath. Maki-chan's going to need to start using more sweetener."

Maki's smile left warmth trailing down Nico's neck as she breathed, "Something sweet… got it."

"Maki-chan… we need to get ready…" Nico complained, but tightening her hold in Maki's hair as she trailed kisses lower, slowly passing her collar and down the center to her stomach."

"I wanted to make sure… last night wasn't a dream…" Maki continued, punctuating when her mouth was too preoccupied. She slid her hands down her waist, over her hips and further, pulling a pair of elastic waistbands down.

Maki kissed harder, pressing forward to nudge the smaller girl to sit in the chair behind her. She made certain to make eye contact, "... and to make sure Nico-chan knows… exactly how I feel about it…" before continuing.

Nico got a... pretty good idea of how Maki felt.

 

\-------------------

 

"Pretty good, right?" Nico said, taking another bite. Her twintails were in place, cardigan and blazer on the chair behind her but otherwise in uniform.

"Easily the best strawberry pancakes I've ever had," Maki replied, also looking ready to go, though she had to take extra care since Cotaro was on her lap.

"If you keep letting him do that, he's never going to stop you know…" Cocoro chided, half-lid-glaring at the two.

"That would get pretty awkward in a few years, wouldn't it?" Maki replied, taking a break from her plate to wipe some whipped cream from the boy's cheek.

"Are you coming back again tonight?" Cocoa asked, trying not to look too hopeful.

"I've got cram classes after school, and if I did, I should probably stop at home to get some more clothes first… I might not make it back here before you all were in bed," Maki replied, feeling a little sad at the thought and their reactions, "But I'd be happy to be over as much as wouldn't be a bother."

"It's less of a commute here than it'd be to Onee-san's waterfront apartment," Cocoro continued matter-of-factly, "If you were still planning on hiding away with her."

Maki turned to Nico with a double-blink, having no idea how to respond to that. Fortunately, the oldest Yazawa daughter stepped in, "Maki-chan is one of Nico's secret weapons. Idols need songs to sing, after-all! Nico might need another night away from the apartment to throw off the paparazzi, so… not sure about tonight yet."

"Onee-san has it so hard," Cocoro commiserated.

"It's a small price to pay for bringing smiles around the world~"

Then the weirdest thing happened. Everyone around the table raised both hands to their heads while making the sign language for "I love you" in perfect sync and chorused, "Nico Nico Nii!!!!"

Maki wanted to smile, she really did, but the wires to her mouth had been re-routed to her eyebrows… which were currently lost in her bangs. Not knowing what else to do, she took another bite. The pancakes really were very good.

 

\-------------------

 

The two were only half way down the hall to the apartment building's elevator when Nico spoke up, "We need to talk."

"A lot, I'd hope," Maki replied, glad that she didn't have to be the one to get this ball rolling. As the morning wore on, her mind had taken advantage of its rested state to bombard her with endless insecurities and what-ifs, frustrating given how obviously happy Nico had been about the attention earlier. She'd already made her decision… but unlike all of the others of its kind, this one involved the feelings and decisions of someone else. This morning, she had rushed in, revealed her thoughts on the matter, and had given in to her whims to be very… very assertive. This stuff was scary.

Nico sighed, rubbing her arm uncomfortably and having trouble meeting Maki's gaze. "Is Maki…" she began before shaking her head and seeming to steel herself, dropping a few octaves, and continuing, "Are you okay?"

"Honestly? Better than I can remember ever being," Maki replied through the anxiety. It was true, but it'd be even better if they had a solid week to catch up on… each other's' lives? Eyeing the older girl curiously, Maki asked, "Are you?"

"Yeah… This is all just…" Nico gestured animatedly, "It's a lot at once, you know?"

"Yeah. It really is. I'm sorry I came on a little strong this morning," Maki managed, feeling a lump in her throat, "I kind of surprised myself, too. I've never..."

"Me either," Nico added, sounding encouraged, "I wondered. I mean, you don't need to be sorry. You were so confident and… it was really good, so…"

Flushed with a curious mix of pride and embarrassment, Maki acquiesced, "I've... thought about it a lot before… and last night is a little hazy for me. I was wondering the same about you. About... being good."

Nico pushed the button to call the elevator, leaned beside the console and continually rechecked the hallway. Her face scrunched up a little, "About last night… I… I feel like I took advantage of you or something. I brought you back to help you and ended up..."

Maki leaned on the wall beside her. It was supposed to make it easier to focus on talking instead of staring straight at her face, but now her eyes were locked on the shorter girl's profile, "Don't be… I don't regret any of it. Maybe I should… but I guess that comes down to what happens next."

"For someone who hasn't had this happen before, and was such a mess yesterday, you're pretty composed, Maki-chan."

"I guess," Maki replied, feeling self-conscious as she reached up to rub the mark she'd received last night on the back of her neck, "What do you want to happen? Where do we go from here?"

The elevator door opened. Nico slid around the entryway, stepped into the center of the empty car and tapped the button. Maki followed, but remained near the door, not that there was much choice. It was a pretty cramped space. Nearly claustrophobia inducing. Nico wasn't giving her much room either. Maki almost found herself backing out of the car with the intense look Nico was giving her.

The door was only two-thirds closed before the smaller girl had reached out and grabbed Maki's blazer. Nico closed the distance, kissing almost too firmly before pulling away, pecking forward two more times, and stepping back. The heat in Maki's face wasn't echoed at all on Nico's.

"More of that. I know I want more of that," Nico stated. "More of that and the other things. Getting to know what's going on up here and in here would be good too," she continued, tapping Maki's forehead and poking her in the chest.

"So…" Maki replied slowly, and after a breath continuing, "We're in agreement then."

A deeply skeptical look etched into Nico's face as the door opened behind them, "We're in agreement then? That's... oddly formal."

Nico ushered Maki out of the elevator and through the front door while continuing, "Well-rested Maki is very different from super-sleepy Maki."

"Well, yeah," Maki replied, finger in hair, "That's only natural, isn't it?"

Nico watched the fidget for a moment as they exited the building and started toward school, "It makes sense, but it's making me think I might have two girlfriends instead of one when it comes to you…"

The anxieties in Maki's heart exploded, dying in an elaborate fireworks display. Twin hands flipping off self-doubt and fear with sparkling text proclaiming, "Get Rekt, Sucka." Outwardly? A small smile crept up her left cheek and she lowered her face as if to hide, "So… is that what we are? We're going to do this?"

"What," Nico asked incredulously, taking advantage of the lack of surrounding foot traffic, "you think you can have your way with a girl and then leave in the morning? I'm not that kind of girl, Maki-chan."

"You jumped me first, if I remember correctly," Maki reminded, the jab lacking heat because it was all still in her face.

"My heart, Maki-chan. I'm talking about my heart," Nico replied hotly, "You pulled poor Nico in so many directions I thought I would faint!"

"Oh…" Maki said meekly, after a moment for the words to sink in. A knot was winding tight in her forehead as she tried to keep up, "I'm… sorry? What did I do yesterday?"

"Nico hopes you were being yourself," Nico replied romantically if not helpfully. Then more softly, "... and what about you? Does serious, rested Maki feel the same as smiley, sleepy Maki? Do both of you want to… erm… "

"Be girlfriends?" Maki offered.

Nico sighed, nodding while looking nervously hopeful.

Maki small-smiled at the sight, "Isn't that obvious? There's clearly some… significant chemistry at play here. We owe it to ourselves to at least try."

That seemed to cheer her up, so Maki continued with a more neutral face, "Also, I'm not two people. That would be ridiculous."

"Rested Maki calls it chemistry. Sleepy Maki called it magic," Nico asked with a small voice, "Which Maki is the honest one?"

"Both! … I don't really see the difference either."

Nico side-eyed Maki, "Magic is more romantic. Sleepy Maki might like Nico more."

Maki met it head on with a matter-of-fact, "Rested Maki was the one who went down on you this morning because she was desperate to make sure Sleepy Maki… wait… dammit, now I'm doing it!"

"So… alchemy then! Magical chemistry~" Nico cheered triumphantly, "But please, go on. Nico likes where this was heading. Tell me more about desperate Rested Maki wanting Nico."

Maki stared at her smirking girlfriend and changed the subject, "Are you okay with people knowing? Your Mom said that one of the things I should be concerned about in regards to a relationship with you is that you have legitimate idol aspirations… That's hard enough as it is. I don't want to make things more difficult for you."

"You talked to Mama about us?" Nico said, poleaxed from cockiness to raw mounting horror.

"She brought it up first," Maki replied with a wince.

"What did you say?" Nico responded with a hoarse whisper.

"I was making her coffee and she asked me how long we'd been dating!" whispered back, now that there were other people in sight.

"What did you tell her!?"

"The truth! That I didn't know if we even were, but that I really liked you!"

"Then wha... you d-... why would she ask that to begin with!?" Nico whispered with increasing panic, skipping past her reaction to the admission.

"She apparently heard us last night."

"Heard what?!"

"Us. Last night. Probably you when I did that one thing. You were kinda loud. She called it, "being enthusiastic."

"Oh god... Can we stay at your place tonight? Possibly forever?"

"Tonight yes, forever is what dating is for to find out, right?"

Nico's panicked expression downgraded to exasperated. Exasperation shifted to annoyance, "Rested Maki is way too composed for this to be her first time. That was smooth as fuck."

Maki blinked, "Whoa, that's pretty un-idol-like language, Nico-chan."

Nico reached up and flicked Maki on the forehead as her pride superseded her horror, "Secret idol girlfriends get exclusive access to many things, including backstage passes to behind the character. Idol life is a battlefield. We hide our bruises under frills and our bitterness behind smiles."

"That sounds pretty hardcore when you put it like that," Maki admitted.

"An idol only shines to bring light and smiles to others, Maki-chan. That's why idols aren't supposed to date. That light is for everyone..."

"So secrecy is a premium. That'll help stave off a few other things on my end as well..."

"Uuuugh, I can't believe Mama heard and didn't say anything…"

"I'm pretty sure she supports the idea."

"Huh? What gives you that idea?"

Maki ticked off the list, "She told us approximately how long breakfast would take when she sent us back to your room, told us she would call for us instead of coming in to get us personally, and she winked at me while we were on the way out."

Nico went impossibly paler, "Mama... was my girlfriend's wingman?"

"It worked too," Maki added breezily, "No way I would've tried that if I thought we could be walked in on."

"Nico is still dreaming… that has to be it…"

"How secretive do we have to be?" Maki said, barreling forward.

"What do you mean?" Nico asked wearily.

"Well, at first I was wondering if we could meet up in secret at school, but that would be pretty risky," Maki began, abruptly recapturing her senior's undivided attention. Such strong reactions to even suggesting further intimacy was almost intoxicatingly encouraging.

Encouraged or not, Maki still felt a little shy as she admitted, "If it was just me, I think I'd be willing to risk it. It's going to be hard to focus knowing you're so close by… but still, where would we even go where we could not be interrupted for that long..."

Nico gulped, "Maki-chan is surprisingly forward... Wait… "For that long!?" What were you thinking of doing to Nico at school!?!?"

Maki gave Nico a long flat glare, "Figure it out, senpai," and then let the expression fall, "Oh... am I going to have to go back to calling you that at school?"

"I'd prefer not. Even if we're not going to advertise being girlfriends, we can still be girl friends, right? I… don't think we should get inappropriate at school, but affectionate is fine. I'm sure everyone wants to hug and be hugged by Maki-chan. That much would be normal."

"The rest of my class would disagree."

"So we'll just shock and awe them. Maki-chan is too cute to not be hugged. If rumors start, then Maki and Nico's popularity will only grow~"

"Right."

"So, maybe with a little more detail. Tell Nico what you'd want to do at school."

Internally, Maki imagined replying, ‘How about I show you. At home. Later,' before actually saying, "Maybe later. What are you doing tonight?"

"Nico usually hangs out at the clubroom until it's late enough to go home. It lets them think Nico is out wowing the world."

"You're in a club?" Maki asked, perking up at the thought of another facet already appearing in the Nico jewel.

"Yup. Idol Research. Nico is the president!" she pronounced with a twirl and a wink, "Since Maki-chan is just getting started in the glorious world of idols, school and otherwise, she should join! Nico would teach you many things~"

"Idol research. Huh. That's interesting. I guess this idol thing really has been taking off, hasn't it? I might have to stop by."

"Nico will show you the room when we get there. So what do you do on non-cram nights, aside of passing out in hallways and seducing your seniors?"

"Have you ever been in the music room?"

"A few times. Why?"

"You might not know it, but Otonokizawa's piano is a really high quality one. Exceptional. The best piano maker in Japan only makes a few of these a year. It's actually what put Otonoki on my short list."

"A piano. A rich heiress comes to a dying school for the sake of a piano. That's sounds pretty romantic, actually."

Maki smiled earnestly, "Two reasons actually. To play that piano during my high school years and apparently to meet you."

Nico completely stopped moving. It took Maki a few steps to realize she was no longer at her side. Once she did, she turned to see the smaller girl stare at her wide-eyed, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good," Nico replied, "You just said that so easily is all."

Once the couple had started moving again, Maki confided, "You haven't given me a reason to think I'll regret this, Nico-chan. Maybe it's the… alchemy talking… but, I'm really happy."

"Rested Maki has a much less expressive face," Nico said softly before adding confidence, "Nico will learn to read it."

"I have it easy then," Maki replied, "You're like an open book. Good thing you gave me that backstage pass since I can already see right through you, right?"

That pulled Nico back into the game, "Maki-chan gets to see these sides of Nico because Nico lets her. Nico had Maki-chan fooled completely yesterday!"

"Oh?" Maki droned, unimpressed, "Let's see if that checks out. What does ‘Sleepy Maki' remember from yesterday? Nico-chan's got a weird streak, since she was spying on the new idol group. It makes a bit more sense now that I know you were researching them, but the way you went about it? Straight up weird."

"She's not a terrible person since you didn't leave me lying there in the hall, thanks again for that by the way."

"That's a pretty low bar."

"Uh huh... Watch your head."

"Oh, you did not ju-"

"She's a nice older sister who goes out of her way to help her siblings happy."

"I'm just preparing them for when Nico makes it big for real!"

"It's a compliment, you're supposed to take those… and I was talking about the meal. It was delicious and those kids love you."

"It's easy because Nico loves them."

"Apparently you're bi."

"How the hell did you figure that out? The heiress really is a genius."

"You had boy bands on your walls and you talked about guys on the way home. Also, yes, I know that was sarcasm. I didn't take you for American humor... that's another point in your favor."

"You're really starting to confuse Nico. What are you even getting at?"

"What I'm saying is I've got a pretty good handle on who you are under all that, although you've shown me some pretty good faces today. Very animated."

"Nico practices in the mirror. Idols need to be in control of what they show the world."

"It's paid off."

They passed a block in silence. The world felt surreal to Maki with how the past few days had been. Somehow, with this person, her girlfriend, she wasn't falling over her words or getting flustered. One evening and night in her company and the world turned on its head. What was this even? Was it the endorphin release from their earlier activities? Attraction alone would have usually had her a babbling mess. There's no way she should be in this good a shape or even capable of verbal sparring after a single passable night of sleep.

"Maybe it is magic…"

"Huh?" Nico asked, because she is not telepathic.

"Were you serious? About coming over tonight?"

"Well. Yeah. Sure. If your parents would be fine with it."

"I don't think we'll need to worry about that," Maki deadpanned, "It'd be a bit of a wait since I have juku tonight and we'd be on our own for dinner."

"I'll walk you there and back. I'd like to know where it is. I should get a copy of your schedule… oh, and your Line if rich heiress seductresses use things like that."

"Yeah yeah, I've got Line," Maki groused, pulling up her phone and pulling up the app, "Though I should probably turn on notifications. Jeez."

"Maki-chan's friends must feel neglected~"

"I'm not really used to getting messages. These are all from people I just recently added," Maki replied, handing over her device, "Here, send yourself an invite and we'll be good. It's easier than doing it out loud."

Nico immediately burst out laughing after seeing the user handle, "Terrible tomato roll? Holy shit Maki, that's cute! What the hell? There has to be a story behind that, right?"

Maki shrugged, not bothering to hide her blush, "My name is Maki. A roll of sushi is also called Maki. I like tomatoes. My hair is red, like a tomato. I am also terrible, like many people would assume a tomato maki to be."

"Have you ever tried one?" Nico asked with morbid curiosity as she tapped out her own handle.

"Yup. It actually wasn't that bad, but I was the only one that thought so. Depends on how fresh and plump the tomato is. It just can't be soggy."

"Wow."

"Acidic tomato juice is actually pretty good with white rice."

"Wooooow."

"Don't knock it til' you've tried it."

"That sounds awful."

"You didn't seem to mind this tomato roll last night."

"You're right. You are also awful. Take your damn phone. How do you say all that with a straight face?"

"You've got enough expression for both of us," Maki said, giving in to the smile that had been there all along, "Not that I mind that."

As Nico checked her phone, Maki looked at her's and commented, "OGNicoNico2?"

"Yeeeee-aaaaah," Nico replied, loosely shaking her right hand while forming the "I love you" sign from earlier, "Nico will have to rhyme at you sometime."

"Must be more of that alchemy, right? Do you write lyrics? We should try making something together soon," Maki said, sounding optimistic.

Nico stopped frowning at her phone to stare at Maki again. Surprise faded to confusion, melting into a pained expression, "Maki-chan needs to slow down a little. Nico can only handle so many life-altering changes at once."

The smaller girl fell in step beside her, taking her hand and squeezing it, "Make sure you still like Nico after… at least a week. Maybe then we can talk about the future like that."

Maki squeezed back, "Sorry. I kinda jump all in once I've made the decision."

"Look at me, Maki," Nico softly demanded, "I need time to really get to know you. You need time to really get to know me. Magic can push us together all it wants, but… I don't want you to regret any part of this. I can be a real pain sometimes, or so I'm told."

With a deep sigh, she continued forward, the school coming into view and their hands still together, "This might not be in my best interest to say, but make sure I'm worth it. I'm starting to feel like you're something special… so… I think it'd be very painful if you came to resent me. Give us a little time before you go dedicating your life. Promise?"

"Yeah… Sorry."

"Nico's not going anywhere."

"I believe you."

"We're pretty much there. Is there anyone you want to know about us?"

"You. Me. Your family. That's it for now."

"Deal. Can Nico tell someone?"

"Sure. Who?"

"Nico will introduce you formally later. You've met. Nico will get all the embarrassing stuff out of the way beforehand."

Nico let go of Maki's hand and flicked her on the temple, causing her to jump back, "Message Nico your schedule and keep your phone notifications off during class. Nico's gonna bombard her pretty girlfriend aaaaalll day."

Maki glared and hip-checked Nico into the wall, earning a squawk, "That's not very productive for your academic career, Nico-chan."

"I do what I want," Nico challenged, chin high.

Maki raised her chin as well, going for haughty and spoiling it by sticking out her tongue, "I'll be watching for them. Meet up for lunch?"

"Crap! I forgot to bring food!"

"Spoiled rich princess heiress, remember? Vending machine soup and Pocari Sweat's on me."

"UGH!!!"

 

\-------------------

 

It had been surprisingly easy to part ways with Nico, but hard to process that she'd only known her for less than twenty-four hours. It felt like at least a month. Even stranger was how charged she felt. This much social activity in such a small amount of time would normally have left her drained and seeking the company of instruments alone. Instead, she was practically lounging at her desk as other students began filtering in, catching up on the various Line messages that had piled up overnight.

IRLRedBean.Bandito: Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ So? How'd you like the show? Your music was so awesome!! It made us sound so good! Was that your girlfriend u brought?

IRLRedBean.Bandito: Oh! Are you busy? (ó﹏ò｡)

IRLRedBean.Bandito: (｡ŏ﹏ŏ) With your girlfriend!??!?

IRLRedBean.Bandito: I'm so curious!! Does Maki date upperclassmen?!? 。७﹏७ 。

Chrpchrp.muthafuka: hey

IRLRedBean.Bandito: I'll stop bothering you now, but let me knoooow!

IRLRedBean.Bandito: She was cute tho!

Chrpchrp.muthafuka: it was good to see you at the show. you seemed a little strung out. you alright? also, you and toujou? very nice.

IRLRedBean.Bandito: OMG Umi-chan said that's the student council vice president!

IRLRedBean.Bandito: I thought she was with the President!!

IRLRedBean.Bandito: Scandalous!!!! o(≧∇≦o)

IRLRedBean.Bandito: Tell me all about it! Have you kiiiiissed? σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

Sonoda.Umi777: Hello Nishikino-san. This is Sonoda Umi. Thank you for sharing your contact information with us.

Sonoda.Umi777: Please don't mind Honoka. I've taken her phone for the time being so she will stop bothering you.

Sonoda.Umi777: Thank you again for your assistance, and for your attendance. Knowing that we have your continued support is encouraging and appreciated.

IRLRedBean.Bandito: ヾ〃＾∇＾ﾉ♪ LETS KEEP MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER!!!!

OGNicoNico2 has accepted your friend request!

OGNicoNico2: ( ๑ ᴖ ᴈ ᴖ)ᴖ ᴑ ᴖ๑)

OGNicoNico2: Don't forget to send me your schedule!

OGNicoNico2: and let me know where you want to meet for lunch!

OGNicoNico2: Otherwise Nico will have to find you!! ((((@ﾉ´3｀)ﾉ　　･･･Σ(ﾟдﾟ;;ﾉ

"Whoa, Nishikino," Ogawa Hanna, said surprised, pulling Maki's attention away from the messages, "You're in a good mood. Interesting nail polish choice, too."

Maki noticed her own smile and didn't feel inclined to drop it. She locked the phone, turned to the much taller girl and said, "Good morning," and then fanned her fingers to display with pride, "I got to hang out with some little kids last night. It seemed a shame to waste it since they were so proud."

"Huh. I wouldn't have pegged you for the type," she replied, commandeering the seat next to her as some of the general chatter around the room diminished to make it easier to listen in, "Usually you come off a little stand-offish, but you're showing a pretty good face right now."

"I'm not really a morning person," Maki offered, waving it off but making sure the multicolored madness was on display, "If I had my way, no one would have to be out of bed before 10. Yesterday was just a really good day."

"Oh yeah? What? Juku get canceled or something?

"What? No way, that would throw everything off," Maki frowning at the very thought of how badly the class's reschedule would potentially be before perking back up, "I went to that school idol thing that the second years put on."

That caught the attention of a pair from across the room, but neither were the next to join the conversation.

"Yeah? I'd meant to go, but totally forgot," Asai Eriko chipped in, sitting on the desk Hanna was occupying, " It went alright?"

"Better than alright. I was impressed," Maki boasted. Is this what it meant to support a group? Word-of-mouth advertising? Either way, people in her class were actually engaging with her. It'd be exciting if it wasn't so jarringly unexpected, "You missed out, Asai."

"Again, I wouldn't have pegged you the type," Hanna commented, propping her elbow on Eriko's leg to lean on her palm.

Maki's brow creased, "I feel I'm somehow being misrepresented."

"It's because Nishikino's so grumpy all the time~" Rin popped in, grinning mischievously while draping herself over Eriko's shoulders.

"You were there," Maki redirected, barely restraining a twitch. Mimicking Hanna's posture, only using a desk instead of a classmate, she redirected back to the show, "You and Koizumi had a good time, right?"

"Well nyah, of course we did. Kayochin and I have fun wherever we go! Kayochiiiin~ You had a good time right?"

"Ah!? Ehh.. yes. It was... I mean... I did!" poor Hanayo stammered, caught off guard at being dragged into the conversation.

"So you like school idols then, Nishikino?" Hanna pursued.

"Not particularly," Maki admitted, "I don't really get most of what I've seen, but if they were all like what I heard yesterday, I would be. No doubt."

Eriko whistled, "So you like the songs but not the skirts?"

It took Maki a moment to process that and to not just blurt out ‘The skirts are great' because that… might get mistaken to mean exactly what it really meant. Rin's eyes narrowed like a cat sensing weakness in potential prey, hurrying Maki along to elaborate, "I like music in general. If the hospital wasn't a thing, I would likely be pursuing music professionally."

"Lemme guess," Hanna drawled, "Thematically, Nishikino probably plays the violin."

Maki smirked at the thought. Violinists at play were insanely attractive, and she'd love to take part in that aesthetic… but it was too refined. Not physical enough. She needed the feel of heavy keys she could slam her feelings into. "Sorry, Hanna. Wrong again. Piano."

Eriko laughed at Hanna's pout and following exaggerated faceplant into her lap. "Come on! I at least get bonus points for it still being a rich person instrument, right?"

Hanna may be the class onee-san, but she'd been steadily hacking her way through Maki's good mood. She felt her smile twist a bit more and more until it was a weary smirk as she replied, "I play the flute too. Also, what's with this "Nishikino" business? I told you to call me Maki three times already. You can't tell me to call you Hanna and then toss my surname back at me all year."

"Eriko-chan, Nishikino-san's mad at me!"

"Ma. Ki. Come on, you can do it. Am I really that intimidating Asai?"

"I dunno. Your name's as much a part of your brand as that hair," Eriko replied while petting the faux-weeping Hanna.

"And the nyao-famous Nishikino frownya~"

"Pretty sure I told you the same thing in the first week…" Maki said, almost glaring at Rin as the heat rose in her face, "Seriously, you all act like I'm going to bite or something."

"Uwa~" Eriko breathed, "Nishikino's gettin' heated. We gonna see a princess throwdown?"

"Nyai can take her!" Rin proclaimed, bouncing on her feet and readying her fists.

"Oh my god, I don't get you people," Maki groaned. Lunch could not come soon enough.

 

\-------------------

 

Maki was certain she was a terrible choice for class rep.

She spent the morning completely ignoring the "set a good example" aspect by constantly tapping away on her phone. It somehow made her the favorite target of the three teachers the morning classes had brought in, each trying (in vain) to catch her not paying enough attention to answer questions they'd toss out. It was annoying, but again, this was beginning of the year review, and content she'd gotten out of the way years ago. She was fairly certain it was annoying her classmates too, but whatever. They'd annoyed her too this morning, pulling her out of whatever post-coital bliss she had remaining. Let them be mad.

terrible.tomato.roll: Seriously. If they want to get pissy because the teachers aren't stumping me, they should get on my level.

OGNicoNico2: Maki-chan is using her powers for evil right now.

terrible.tomato.roll: I am the terrible tomato, remember? How is it I can get an unbearably cute upperclassmen like you to get on a first name basis in one day and I can't get anyone in my class to bite?

terrible.tomato.roll: This sucks.

OGNicoNico2: (ෆˊ͈ ु꒳ ूˋ͈ෆ) The flattery helps. After this morning, I'll call you whatever you want.

terrible.tomato.roll: That face… really doesn't work with the context.

OGNicoNico2: ( ๑ ❛ ڡ ❛ ๑ )

terribletomatoroll: Oh my god, you're awful.

OGNicoNico2: ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)σ» Maki-chan has yet to discover the depths of Nico's depravity.

terrible.tomato.roll: Okay edgelord.

OGNicoNico2: Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψ Bwahaha!

Maki was beyond certain that if her father knew what she was doing in class, he'd flip out. If he knew the context of the conversation as well… or the depth of her sudden relationship? Catastrophic. It would have made the whole thing more exciting if he was more of a presence than the abstract that he'd become.

There were more people than just Nico she'd intended on messaging back, but she didn't want to intrude on their classes. Sonoda, whose opinion held significant weight in Maki's book, would likely be disappointed to see messages coming from her junior mid-lesson. She wanted to remain in her good graces, even if it wasn't necessary to continue their musical relationship. They had come to her as a desperate last-ditch option, after all.

terrible.tomato.roll: What would you like for me to pick up for you for lunch?

terrible.tomato.roll: I saw they have beef stew in a can as well now.

OGNicoNico2: What are you having?

terrible.tomato.roll: … sandwich? I don't know. Usually I just grab a coffee from the nurse and whatever bento is on top of the pile.

OGNicoNico2: I'll have what Maki-chan has.

OGNicoNico2: Except no coffee please. Ick.

terrible.tomato.roll: You'll like it eventually.

OGNicoNico2: No way.

terrible.tomato.roll: Most humans are roughly 60% water. Nishikino Maki's chemical composition can be broken down to 40% coffee and 20% water. You will come to love the taste.

OGNicoNico2: | ू•ૅω•́)ᵎᵎᵎ Maki-chan has a weird way of telling Nico she wants to be eaten.

terrible.tomato.roll: We'll see who eats who.

At that, Maki had to put her phone away. She may be able to keep up with this kind of conversation from competitive nerve alone, but she didn't want to chance the implications of the interplay sinking in enough for her to start blushing. That… would be beyond awkward, especially with the glares she'd been getting all class.

She idly wondered if Nico had similar issues with their game of innuendo chicken… and after a moment how she was alright with how this all had played out. An interesting, responsible, affectionate, and attractive person literally swooped in out of nowhere and fulfilled one of her high school career goals within a month of starting. That can't be normal. It would be suspicious as hell if Nico were putting on half as brave a face about it all as she was.

If this continued to work out as well as it started, she'd finally have a reason to be grateful for her sleep issues. As if summoned by the thought, the underlying drowsiness that seemed baked into her bones start drawing itself out. Obviously a single night of quality rest wouldn't undo months of sleep deficit, but feeling it's onset was still a little disappointing.

With the drowsiness came the usual hit of gloom. Frustrating, but that was fine. All she had to do was dive into these new experiences and enjoy as much of it as she could, as deeply as possible. It was a race to the bottom. At some point, like her music, this would disappear. She just had to make sure she made strong enough memories to carry her through what would come after.

She really was lucky.

 

\-------------------

 

"TA-DA~! Bask in the glory of a true idol fanatic's treasure trove! The cultivation of years of bargain hunting, auction sniping, and dedicated line camping. You might not appreciate the splendor before you now, but in time you will learn the value of Nico's collection."

"Wow," Maki replied, eyes widened, "You're very high functioning for an otaku, Nico-chan. I'm impressed."

"You think you're impressed now," Nico said, eyes hardening only slightly at the jab, "Just wait. Behind each of these box sets, limited releases, and complete tour documentaries are stories that Nico has been waiting to tell."

Impressed at the absorb and redirect, Maki smiled and handed off Nico's bento, "School idols go on tour? That sounds pretty tough."

"Like I said, my pretty little princess, Idol life is a battlefield," Nico bragged.

"Little? I'm taller than you…" Maki jabbed, snapping apart her chopsticks.

"By what? Three inches? Still pretty short," Nico scoffed, "At least you're not arguing the pretty or princess points," It was clear she was still feeling out Maki's reactions… and most of them had made Maki herself wince for unnecessary roughness. Shouldn't you should be nice to people you like? What was with this naturally occurring combative streak? It was a miracle she hadn't already chased Nico off like this.

"That there. What was Maki-chan thinking right there?" Nico asked mid-bite.

"Eh?"

"Rested Maki's face is harder to read, but Nico saw something there just now," Nico said before shoving a ball of karaage in her mouth and continuing behind the veil of her palm, "Ib baff hubble, bub ib wab bere."

"HA! What the!? What was THAT!?" Maki laughed, "This "backstage pass" Nico is great, but I'm going to need to hear that without the fried chicken."

Nico looked more impatient than embarrassed, but she still powered through the bite, "I said, it was subtle, but it was there. Come on."

"Whatever it was, it's gone now," Maki said with a shrug, "You're very distracting."

Nico lifted a pinch of salad, pausing only a moment to comment, "But, good distracting. You like it."

Maki took a sip of juice and twirled the bottle idly, "Maybe… " Fortunately for Nico, her face was betraying everything.

Nico dropped the salad back into the bento while laughing, "Playing coy this late into things?"

"What?" Maki defended, "Like all of this hasn't been completely out of order."

"That's fine, it's alright," Nico waved, "Nico will be honest enough for both of us."

"Wha? I'm not lying!" Maki pouted, lifting her sandwich and still trying to pull up whatever had been on her mind not even a minute earlier.

"Not what Nico meant," Nico replied, raising her finger for a moment to collect her thoughts, "Nico is direct. If Nico wants something, then Nico will go for it. The only reason Nico wouldn't is because it would get in the way of something Nico wants more. Jeez, you can be hard to talk to."

That was fair. Maki could only hope that her face properly conveyed her interest while chewing. As fun as the back and forth banter could be, this was what she was hoping for. Thankfully, Nico seemed to be better at getting her thoughts across. All Maki could do was nod as Nico waited for a response before continuing, "N-... I was scared this morning when Maki-chan was gone. Really scared. I haven't even known Maki-chan for a day and I was still that scared."

"That's… not normal," Nico continued, glaring at her bento, "or is it? It's not like I'd know. Last night… hell, yesterday in general was very unlike me."

"Same, but… go on."

Nico went to respond, but apparently lost track of her thoughts. There was obviously a very vivid mental journey going on behind the scenes, but before Maki could ask what was up, Nico seemed to settle on cautious confusion, "Why were you at the live?"

"Huh? The second years's concert?"

"Yeah. Are they why you started being interested in idols?"

Unsure where this was going, but going along regardless, Maki shrugged, "Kind of. I mean, idols weren't even on my radar before starting here. I didn't get them at all. Even after Kousaka approached me and I ran a search, what I saw completely turned me off."

"Kousaka Honoka? She approached you?"

"Yeah, she saw me in the music room and they needed someone who could turn Sonoda's lyrics into a song. I wasn't going to do it, but after reading them… well… I had to."

"You... composed that music?"

"Pretty much in one night," Maki confessed, recalling the feeling as another wave of sleepiness washed over her, "I hadn't been that inspired in a really long time. Oh yeah, you must be pretty excited since a group is starting up here at Otonoki. I've got their Line if you'd want to jump in on their team. They're pretty rough right now, but you seem to know your stuff… if any of this is any sign."

Nico's face was the epitome of "You have got to be shitting me." The very concept personified. It took her four, very visible, failed starts before she managed, "We're going to put a pin in that one for later. For when we have more time."

"O… kay?"

"Maki keeps trying to work on making Nico's dreams come true when all she wants right now is to get to know her girlfriend," Nico deadpanned, "... and we keep getting sidetracked."

"Should we take turns or something?"

"That'd be good. The only shining girl Nico wants to think about right now is Maki-chan."

"Do we… take turns asking questions, or just... volunteer things?"

"If you have things you want to say, go ahead and say them, if not, question. Nico already asked a question, so now it's Maki-chan's turn."

Grateful for the structure, Maki mulled over the heaviest idea, the one that seemed to be causing the most low-key guilty, before volunteering, "That song I played for you and the kids yesterday? The original one? I wrote that to get over my first real crush. It came out great, but I just couldn't really connect it to the feelings I'd wanted to address."

Suddenly looking very interested, her expressive face quickly reaching top of Maki’s favorite things, Nico finished chewing before replying, "Did she know?"

"At the end, yeah. I’m pretty sure. I didn't confess or anything, but we were at the shrine we'd always go to for new years and grades, being sad sacks because we were going to different schools," Maki continued, taking a break for a sip to hide the sting her blasé attitude left behind, "We had a moment… and I think she probably understood. Might have even felt the same, but… she just thanked me and I haven't been able to get in touch since."

"Oubph," Nico replied sympathetically… or as sympathetic as she could be given how full her face was.

"Yeah. So, I wrote that song with this… really idealistic purpose that just never connected. I love how it came out, but it didn't do what I needed it to do."

"Are you okay now?"

After a moment, Maki replied, "... I guess I am? I actually haven't even thought about her much since I started on Start Dash. It kind of did the job Aishiteru Banzai was supposed to do, only better."

"That was a good start. Nico learned a lot."

Maki smiled at that as Nico continued, "Nico learned that Maki-chan thinks a lot about the big things. She's a serious girl who takes feelings very seriously, but tries not to make a big deal about it."

"Not sure how you pulled that out of what I said, but…, " another sip, "You're probably not wrong. Looks like my girlfriend is observant."

"An idol needs to be on the lookout for people's woes and how best to shine their light to bring them back their smile."

Maki finished off her sandwich before responding, "You put a lot of weight into this idol thing. I might not get it yet, but I'll try. I'd ask about that, but I think I'd need more time than we've got left."

Nico beamed, "Maki-chan is right. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

There was still twenty minutes left in the idol oasis before it was time to get back to class. Maki felt the grip of sleepiness pulling her down since she hadn't hidden away at the nurse's station to stare at the insides of her eyelids for the period. She had deep concerns about this instance of the post-crash part of the cycle. Juku was still so far off… even a quick fifteen minutes…

"It's selfish."

"You can make it up to Nico tonight."

Maki stood and circled the table, unbuttoning her blazer.

"Uh… Maki-chan," Nico stammered, "I thought we weren't… you know… gonna…"

"I've got to get at least a few minutes of shut-eye or I'm going to skip "Sleepy Maki" and go straight to "Maki of the Living Dead," Maki said before letting loose a magnificent yawn. Nico looked… beyond relieved.

"Jeez, Maki-chan. Use your words. You scared Nico again!" Nico chided, shoveling down the rest of her bento while Maki arranged the chairs beside Nico's to sit as close as possible, "You sure you don't want to just go to the nurses?"

Maki pouted sleepily.

"I guess it can't be helped," Nico sighed dramatically, patting her lap mere moments before it was full of drowsy redhead, "Maki-chan is so forward when she's sleepy."

"Mm'sorry, I really wanted to hear more… but..." Maki murmured before giving in to happy little groans drawn out by Nico's idle finger combing.

"Maki-chan should say thank you instead of sorry. This makes Nico happy too. We'll talk more later…"

"Mmm…"

 

\-------------------

 

Author's Notes:

Youmacon this weekend in Detroit~  
We're gonna have our first print run of the Min Hua prequel story for sale, which should be plenty humbling. I'll be excited if we sell one xD

Also, story related, I know this is kind of an odd take, but I genuinely appreciate your taking the time to read this. These two are starting off pretty optimistic, but Maki's reasoning might not sit well with the star of our next chapter.

I usually rely pretty heavily on visual storytelling via comics... so this kind of format is pretty difficult for me. I've kind of been rolling with storytelling that lets you fill in a lot of the imagery on your own. Sets the basics so you can paint the picture as the scene plays out. I'm not sure how effect it's been so far.

Also, I've noticed that I tend to let them talk and talk and talk. I don't see that very often in the fics I've loved and worry that I might be overdoing it a bit... not that I'd want to hold the characters back from doing what they want.


	7. The Morning After: B Side

Nico stirred, her nose tickled from hair that wasn't hers. The strange, confusing, beautiful girl's chest rose and fell under her, so she curled herself tighter into yesterday's mystery. Nico brushed her nose affectionately into the girl's bare shoulder (easy to manage since both of them were completely nude... and she smelled so good...) and moistened her lips as consciousness filtered through the memories of last night. Dark ringed eyes so full of affection and need. Warm hands that sought out every inch of her. Lips that were soft and spoke incredible things into her skin like, "You're so beautiful," and, "Is this even real? I can’t stop looking at you." Things she'd never expected to hear in such a voice. In such a situation she could have never anticipated... especially from someone she'd only truly met a few hours earlier. Words that never, even once, suggested that she was lacking in any way. That her allure was mature. Not so much as mentioning the word "cute."

It had been so long since she'd even considered this being a possibility… it made it hard to appreciate the view of her partner (... or anything else) given the tears. The entire evening had been overwhelming in some of the best and scariest ways. Like she was running blind up a flight of stairs knowing full well that at some point ahead the stairs ran out. The entire evening was impossible, a dream. Peeking at her warm, soft, breathing body pillow, she was clearly still dreaming. Nico’s eyes focused and her peek became full-on appreciation. Nico ran her hand over the younger girl's stomach just to prove what her eyes were seeing and hugged the girl's leg with her own. 'Just who the hell is Nishikino Maki?' were her last thoughts before sleep reclaimed her, pulling her back to warm dreams of a now larger family.

When she woke more thoroughly, her sleepy mystery Maki had become a pillow. A real pillow. Had she always been a pillow? The pillow smelled like she thought Maki was supposed to smell.

Oh god.

The whole thing had been a fucking dream?!?

The thought shot through her like lightning and threatened to shred her heart in the process. Her mind had been cruel to her in the past, but this? Make up some fantasy that drudged up all her stupid long-buried insecurities, create a magical copy of some stupid, pretty, humming girl she'd glanced at in the past and have it do and... and say all the right things? And then trade that fantasy out for... for a pillow!? How unfair was that!??! What the hell!?

She sent the pillow hurling across the room, breathing heavily and clawing at her chest. She was naked. Why would she sleep naked? Had she kicked off her clothes overnight? Had the dream been that realistic? It wasn't warm enough for sleep stripping!

Her face was burning with how vivid a dream it had been. Her eyes threatened tears until, with a jolt nearly as jarring as the last, she saw the second school blazer. The bag on her vanity. Her reflection, eyes wild. Hair everywhere. Covered in bites and bruises that just remembered they should be aching, earned in the process of learning that the idea was to feel good together, not eat each other.

Nico crawled to the edge of her bed, transfixed by the image in the mirror. There were... just so many. All over. "God damn..." she murmured in awe as a more thorough check commenced. "You're... really bitey, Maki-chan. Hell of a first time, Nico." Just seeing the aftermath of last night soothed the panicked nervous energy into the solid desire to have another go. The more she looked, linking memory to evidence, the more that desire grew. A quick glance at the clock told her there'd be time. Hell, she's never up this early... but somehow, despite having been up WAY later doing WAY more vigorous things than usual, she felt great. Energetic even. Motivated.

Wait.

Where was Maki?

The thought of the sleep-deprived raccoon-eyed redhead stumbling around naked around the apartment, or worse... outside, struck home. She grabbed a pair of underwear, tossed it to the side when she realized it wasn't hers (double panic mode), and scrambled for her pajama pants. There they were! The shirt was still on the bed. Forget the undershirt or bra, just get the damn thing snapped. Quick finger comb on the way to the door. The light down the hallway both lessened and heightened the dread. She flew down the hall, coming to an abrupt halt at the view that greeted her.

Maki was there. Dressed. She had her mug. Maki was talking to Mama. Mama beat her to Maki this morning and who knew what they'd talked about. Maki was still here, looked coherent, was drinking from her mug, had no makeup and was sporting ridiculous, wildly attractive sex hair. She didn't just look coherent, she looked amazing. Fortunately (?), Mama was there, hard countering the libido surge. Relief washed over Nico knowing that her... her... whatever they were... wasn't out wandering the streets or passed out in alleys and oh, hell no. She did NOT put coffee in her mug.

The momentary annoyance pulled her out of panic/turn on/turn off mode and into plain old relief, "Jeez Maki-chan! I was afraid you got up and left without saying goodbye!"

The two seemed to be wrapping up some earlier conversation in low voices as Nico approached. It took until she reached the table-side for her to gather the nerve to greet, "Morning, Mama. I see you've met Maki-chan."

That stupid sexy raccoon. She DID put coffee in her hot chocolate mug! Thieving narcoleptic. The only thing saving that adorable puffy-cheeked sleepy-face from retribution via playful head-chop was Mama's reply, "I have! Would you like Mama to make breakfast this morning so you can take your time getting ready for the day?"

Nico must still be dreaming. It's been months since she'd had Mama's strawberry pancakes. Surely her mug would be untainted when she woke in the morning, so she hip bumped her pretty guest while showing her excitement with, "Nico never says no to Mama's breakfast! You're gonna love this~"

The hype was real. Nico danced around the room singing the pancake song as Maki and Mama wrapped up the formalities and the ick was rinsed from her bunny mug, "Paaancakies~ Paaaancakies~ Nico gonna get that paaancakie~ Strawberry maple syrup carbidy carbs~!! Ooo Ooo~ Ooo Ooo~" Moonwalking away from the two and back down the hall.

Maki was following, but her attention was somewhere behind her eyes, and it should be on her! A very important and personal Nico ritual was on display! Maki's thoughts must be very consuming to distract from all this charisma... time to step it up and engage.

Nico popped the top snap, moistened her lips, and put on her best unconcerned face. It would contrast well with the auditory pout she painted, "Maki-chan really scared Nico for a minute there. Disappearing like Cinderella... only without a slipper."

There were those pretty amethyst eyes. Right where they should be. Right on hers. 'That's right,' Nico thought as her smile went sly, 'Look at Nico's neck, look at those lines you were so fond of last night. See those? You did that?'

Things didn't quite go as planned. Instead of becoming the magically entranced and enticed Maki from last night, she became a queen, looking on her good works with satisfaction. "If anyone here's the storybook princess, Nico-chan... It'd be the girl with the candy cane room."

Maki was twirling her hair. Her eyes were glowing, narrowed softly... everything about her was warm and soft. Well, almost everything. There was fire behind those eyes and Nico couldn't look away. Those eyes, the way her tongue brushed her lips in anticipation as she continued, "... and the fair skin... long hair... bright eyes..."

Heart in her throat and an engine roaring in her ears that poured heat into her cheeks. This... where did THIS come from? This assertive, seductive Maki was so different from yesterday’s wide-eyed affectionate cuddle monster. Suddenly, it felt like Maki towered over her. The door to her room was at Nico’s back, and Maki's lips were so close and her voice husky, "Thank you again... last night was amazing."

Holy shit. Holy... shit. Doorknob. Inside. Now. Nico stumbled back into her room. She'd just thought it'd be fun, but this was really going to happen, wasn't it? Mama was in the kitchen, less than a dozen tatami away and she was really going to replay some of last night!?

Oh Mama, don’t think bad of your Nico.

"N-no problem, Maki-chan. Nico knew her family would impress," Nico staved off. She was racing up those stairs again. She knew she'd run out soon.

"They did... though... that's not quite what I was getting at..." Maki replied with that unnatural confidence, that coy-not-coy hair twirl, and eyes that threatened to eat her before the distance could be crossed.

Maki was backing her into another wall. Dammit, she wasn't the kind of girl who went along for this sort of thing so easily… Was she? Apparently she was? It was just a chair behind her, but it was solid enough to get Nico to freeze and let this girl, two years her junior, saunter closer. Nico swallowed and kept the dialogue rolling as her mind raced, "In that case.. umm... thank you too?"

The connotation of a wolf closing its jaws around a bunny should be disturbing, but there was a definite predator/prey vibe running in the electricity between them. Those eyes narrowed as Nico felt warm, strong hands on her hips. Maki had complimented her hips so many times last night... in word and action. She must have felt Nico trembling at this change in her because as she leaned in she paused. Her eyes softened, her face suddenly without the intensity. There was the girl she'd met yesterday.

"You're very welcome," Maki whispered and closed the distance. She was here. She still liked her. Still wanted her. She wasn't in some sleep-deprived delirium. She made the first... several moves. Unmistakable.

Nico cradled the redhead's face in her hands, returning the soft, slow kisses. Leaning in for more as she held that pretty face close. Their lips parted, warm, soft... oh no.

Nico pulled away abruptly, laughing, "Ewwww, coffee breath. Maki-chan's going to need to start using more sweetener."

Maki didn't seem offended. Hell, she didn't even slow down... and when had she gotten so far with Nico’s shirt? The snaps were undone down to her naval. Maki's hands slipped inside to trace her sides as she murmured, "Something sweet... got it."

Shit. Was Rested Maki really this smooth? "Maki-chan... we need to get ready..." Nico heard herself complain. Due diligence only. This was happening. Oh hell yes it was. Nico had a tight grip on Maki's hair (something that had gotten spectacular results throughout the night) as the redhead trailed heat and affection down her body. Soft lips and gentle nibbling.

"I wanted to make sure..." Maki said before spending time at her chest and continuing to her stomach. She seemed to really like her stomach for some reason, "last night wasn't a dream..."

If Nico hadn't been on board before, hearing her own insecurities echoed by this gorgeous, confident young woman put her heart on a goddamn platter. Take her away. Lock her up. Fuck school because right now someone was reading her heart. Someone got it... and that beautiful someone was pulling down her pants.

… She didn't stop until Mama called.

 

\------------------

 

Breakfast sold Nico on this girl even more. She let Cotaro sit on her lap. She wiped his messy sleepy face. She stood strong before the power of the Yazawa family's combined Nico Nico Nii. She remembered the delicate game she had rolling for her siblings... and Mama REALLY seemed to like her. Like, REALLY like her. Wild.

The walk to school, was something else. Something less romantic, less sexy, but still very, very fun. There were some flags blaring warnings here and there, but that meant she was human and not some magical pixie flitting to brush past before finding new fields to frolic. Exactly what they both needed. A drop of reality so both could quit questioning their senses.

Most importantly, Nico secured the vital question's answer. Was this a passionate passing or was this the start of something deeper? Not that it wasn't already deep. They'd run up those stairs together and jumped all the way down to the deep end.

Nico couldn't lie, she wished she could have rearranged the way magic had brought them together. Maki seemed so sweet and honest and passionate. Nico wanted to have those traditional moments... the slow build of subtle glances and lingering touches. Heartfelt conversations in parks and Line, building to a crescendo of confessions igniting the passions their solid friendship had set in place. Maki seemed like someone who would be amazing to fall in love with. Nico had known her for what, the better part of 24 hours and she already really liked the redhead. She was glad she chased that goofy tired-drunk girl at the end of the live. Glad she brought her home, cooked her food, threw her family at her, and curled into bed with her.

No regrets, just... she always thought she'd be in love before she went there. She definitely felt that this heady feeling was part of the process of falling… but It wasn't months or years of experiences, joys, and pains. Nico wasn't sure what was weirder. The order things were happening or how okay she was with it. Two goddamn days ago she was full of piss and vinegar over the second years besmirching the name of idol. Today... it was hard to find that fire amidst the afterglow of Hurricane Nishikino.

The confusion must have shown on her face as she leaned there on her desk, because it took a voice directed at her to pull her out of her musings, "Good morning, Nico. I hear you had an interesting night. Is everything okay?"

It took a couple of blinks to switch from remembering the sight and feeling of Maki's attentions earlier this morning to seeing the concerned face of the student council president, "Oh. Eli. Good morning. What was that?"

Eli sighed and reiterated, "Is everything okay with Nishikino? Nozomi told me what happened and she never heard back from you last night."

Nico's eyes widened, "What? What did she say!?"

Eli blinked, "Uhh... that she fell and you took her home with you to make sure she was alright. That was very kind of you."

Nico's thoughts had enough time to reboot back to what Nozomi could have possibly been privy to. No way the cards called this one. God, how had that all started? Think fast… Right! "Not really,” Nico began, “That girl said some things that pissed me off and I had to step in. It worked out alright. She's here today. I'm probably not at liberty to talk about most of it, but yeah, everything’s alright for now. Could you tell Nozomi I'm sorry? I told her I'd text."

That seemed to mostly satisfy tall, blond, and in charge... mostly, "You should probably text her yourself, Nico. She was really worried about this!"

"Sorry. Any reason she didn't follow up with me after if she was so concerned? I honestly just forgot."

Eli sighed and shrugged, "The cards told her it would be really bad timing to interrupt."

"The cards said that, huh?"

"Yes. The cards. Text her as soon as I get up, or I'm going to have to get on her case for public molestation again. You get what I'm saying, right?"

"... Nico thanks the generous wisdom of Otonokizaka's grand student council president. A tithing shall be offered in honor of thine greatness."

"Why are all of my friends so weird?" Eli sighed, "Do I need to check in on Nishikino?"

"Nah, she's good for now. I'll actually keep both of you updated if things go south again. Her and I are friends now. Kinda."

"Good. You need more friends," Eli said, flicking Nico's forehead and drawing an exaggerated groan, "Real life friends. Introduce us sometime. We'd love an excuse to hang out with you again."

"Just a heads up, Eli. Keep your girlfriend's hands off of Maki-chan, alright? It won't end well for her."

"We. Aren't. Girlfriends. Nico," Eli ground out, "... and you know Nozomi does what she wants. Tell her yourself."

"I'll kick her right in the shins if she tries anything funny. Maki-chan doesn't need that. I'll be talking with her at lunch. We're meeting up in the clubroom. Don't come looking for us. Delicate times. Things are alright now but we're still working toward making alright into good."

"She made an impression," Eli replied, "You're usually not so protective."

"Pfft," Nico scoffed, "Nico wrecks face anytime someone bad-mouths you or Sexual Healing"

"Ugh! Her tag is Spiritual Healing and you know it."

"Don't be shy. Nico knows what's up between you two. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

That was enough for Eli. She stood with a scowl and an eye-twitch, "Text. Her. Please," and left.

Nico always loved these talks with Eli. Today even more now that she had a secret on both of them. Still, she did feel a little guilty for leaving Nozomi in the dark after dragging her into that mess yesterday. It didn't take long for Nico to whip out her phone, making sure to hide her screen in case any of the pictures she took yesterday were still on the main screen, and boot up Line.

OGNicoNico2: Nico is sorry. Please don’t punish her. She had a long night.

Spiritual.Healing7: Nicocchi! We were worried!

Spiritual.Healing7: What happened?

Spiritual.Healing7: Tell me everything.

That… that wasn’t Nozomi’s style at all. What the hell was up with these past couple weeks? No subtlety, no games, no hiding her face behind cards she’d never seen the faces of before except the fancy no-number ones. She really must be worried about something.

OGNicoNico2: Not Nico’s place to say, but things are okay for now. The Universe’s #1 Idol is on the case, so don’t you worry.

Spiritual.Healing7: Nicocchi. We need to talk in person. Soon. Lunch?

This out of character Nozomi was seriously putting a damper on Nico’s post-sexytimes glow. Genuine concern crept on the edges of her perception, just like when they were talking about the cards. As much as Nico loved dragging the spiritual dynamo, Nico always held her abilities in higher regard than she let on. It was a little scary sometimes… and Nico didn’t want to imagine her sleepy, sweet redhead skewered on the ground.

OGNicoNico2: Nico is following up with red-haired formerly-distressed damsels then. We’ll need space, so keep away from the clubroom? Things will be fine, but Nico is being careful while she figures out the situation.

Spiritual.Healing7: Nicocchi, it’s her we need to talk about.

OGNicoNico2: Alright then. After lunch. Skip class? (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

Spiritual.Healing7: Perfect. Meet me on the roof.

Oh. Oh shit. She hadn’t expected her to actually accept that offer. Anxious energy crept over her shoulders. Nozomi was far from a delinquent. This must be something serious. Nozomi had always said that spirits and magic weren’t purely benevolent. That they loved playing tricks. If this really was some kind of alchemy bringing her and Maki together, what was the end game?

Come on! Give Nico a little time to enjoy herself!

 

\------------------

 

Lunch came. Lunch went… and so did Maki. Their mini-mid-school-day-date hadn’t gone as Nico hoped or planned, but it had been really nice. It was annoying how her stance on Kousaka’s troupe kept softening because of the Maki-Connection. Annoyance just can’t keep pace when her lap is full of lovely red hair that crooned so adorably when you pet it.

As surreal as it all still was.

The alarm warning them it was time to get to class (well, for Maki to anyway), came depressingly soon. Nico didn’t know how Maki got any benefit out of her super-short nap, but she did seem much perkier. Appreciative too. She must have peppered Nico's face with at least a dozen light, feathery kisses in thanks before pulling out a compact and getting her hair back in place. God, she was pretty.

”Did Nico’s healing lap do the trick?”

”Very effective. Really comfortable. It was hard to not turn around, though” Maki teased.

Nico lightly swatted at Maki’s hair, “No sexytimes in front of the shining collection. Have respect for the idol code.”

Maki’s cheeky grin, a rare glimpse of yesterday’s Maki, almost made Nico forsake that rule right there and then. That was a very positive response to rough-housing that Nico would have to keep in mind for later. Nico was even further tested after hearing Maki say, “I don’t know. It’d be pretty hard to keep my hands off you if I saw you in some of these outfits.”

Red-faced, Nico crossed her arms and chided, “Get to class, Naughty Maki. Nico will think of ways to scold you later.”

Undue stirrings further tested Nico’s resolve as the suddenly playful first-year stuck out her tongue and slung her bag over her shoulder, “You want to meet at the gates after school or do you want to meet at my special place?”

”Nico showed you hers, now show her yours. Tease.”

”I’ll be waiting for you,” she said with so much… something. Something warm and magical. Butterflies and fairy dust. She opened the door, stepped outside and was immediately tackled and dragged away by the daughter of the school’s principal... Minami Somethingorother. Nico could only stare in shock as the redhead squawked and disappeared from view.

What. The fuck.

The time she probably should have spent pursuing the Makidnapping, she spent blinking. This was probably for the best. Nico knew Maki wanted to keep their relationship on the down-low. The feeling was mutual… though, that was losing steam fast. That girl was more addictive than Dawei Li’s new single. If she followed, it wouldn’t take long for someone to catch that alchemy at play. Her own self control was seriously lacking. So, instead of chasing, Nico just took a few deep breaths, looked around the room at the proudly shining faces and said, “Sorry ladies. Nico’s been weak lately. Thank you for being patient with her.”

She slapped her cheeks, threw out a few radio calisthenics, and waited for the bell to tell her she was being a very, very naughty Nico. The hallway called and she knew to be careful with the stairwell doors. Most of them squeaked. Still, there weren’t enough students to warrant hall monitors, so the roof was easy to reach undetected. It still surprised Nico to see Nozomi waiting by the door.

”Nicocchi.”

”Nozomi.”

”What. Did you do. With Nishikino?

Blinking and hesitating only for a moment, Nico started her practiced reply, ”Nico took her home, cooked her food, and let her play with Nico’s siblings. They like her.”

Nozomi’s accusatory tone, the unusual direct wording, the blatant naked concern on her face, all electrified the anxiety that the lunch date-not-date had dispersed.

Nozomi leaned against the wall and rubbed the base of her nose, “This is why I don’t get involved…”

”I’m sorry?” Nico asked, feeling a little annoyed to be getting grilled like this, “Next time should Nico just drag the bodies on her own?”

”No! That’s not what I mean!” Nozomi semi-snapped. Now Nico felt guilty. She’d never seen the girl so out of sorts as the taller girl continued, “I did a reading. Actually, I did several. She’s part of it, you’re part of it, I’m part of it… Elicchi’s a part of it. There’s others I haven’t pinned down yet and I don’t know what it is. Just that she has a central role and it’s something big. I can’t get a clear picture of it this time.”

”Do you ever?”

Nozomi pouted, “Not really… but my hunches are usually correct. I don’t usually share them just in case, but that girl makes me really anxious.”

Nico half-lid glared at the taller girl, “Is it because she dragged you to the live when you’d rather lurk in the rafters?”

Nozomi perked up and pointed excitedly, “No, but the feeling was very strong when we talked.”

”Seriously, I think it’s because she just wasn’t playing by the script you’re used to. I spent the whole night with her and… I don’t know. I think she’s alright.”

Nozomi seemed to calm down at this, “Elicchi did say you called her a friend now.”

Nico shrugged, “You should have seen how she was with the kids. They’re the real test for me, you know? She seemed to really like them, played along with pretty much everything, and they absolutely loved her. She seems to really like them, too. Like, wants to come back, like.”

The calm that began fully settled in, “Really? It went that well? I didn’t see her as the type…”

”Maki-chan’s got many faces. Nico got to see plenty of them today and yesterday. Don’t worry so much. Nico’s got this. Did Eli pass on my recommendation?”

”Huh?” Nozomi replied, “She just said you’d be in touch.”

”I want YOU… to NOT get “in touch” with her. Physically. Don’t do the thing to her, alright? She’s jumpy.”

At this, Nozomi looked embarrassed, “Oh? Is that so?”

”You already did, didn’t you?”

”First time we met.”

”You’re terrible.”

”I was doing a physical reading to follow up on the cards!”

”Boob readings aren’t a thing, you grope monster.”

”They are absolutely a thing! Anything can yield insight if you’re open to the experience.”

”Grope your girlfriend then. She could use it. I thought you were cheating on her with Maki-chan yesterday.”

Nozomi stopped looking amused, “Nicocchi.”

”Yeah, yeah. Keep doling out advice while ignoring the best things for you. We’ve got a lot of time to burn before the next class. Tell Nico more about these magic cards and how they’re predicting doom and disaster for us all.”

”It’s not doom,” Nozomi argued, turning to guide Nico to the shaded side of the entryway, “It’s just big… and filled with conflicting emotions. It’s something massive and delicate and would be a miracle if it worked and an unparalleled disaster for a few of us if it failed.”

”Yeah, well Nico’s starting to believe in miracles,” Nico replied easily, earning an incredulous look.

Nozomi sighed and leaned against the wall, “So you two got on well?”

Nico took a moment to divvy what was safe and what was forbidden, “Even when Maki-chan is in sleepy mode, she’s fun to talk to. We went on for hours and it was great. That’s never happened before. We barely even talked idols at all. Rested Maki is much sharper, harder to read, very snarky. She’s also quick with the comebacks, so she's fun in a challenging way. It surprised Nico.”

”How did she handle the club room?”

”She called Nico an otaku! Nico’s heart may never recover,” Nico wailed dramatically, arm outstretched as she fell backward.

”She has sway over Yazawa Nico’s heart, does she?” Nozomi tested.

”Oh look,” Nico said flatly, sitting up to stare, “someone turned the Nozomi back on.”

”I don’t want you thinking I’ve lost a step.”

Nico grinned and leaned in close, “Oh? Does Nico have sway over Toujou Nozomi’s heart? Does Nozomi care what Nico thinks of her?”

Nozomi dared closer, “What would you say if I said yes?”

”Nico would say we should make Eli jealous so she’ll finally ask your sorry butt out,” Nico replied, and then pecked her on the cheek.

Nozomi jumped back, falling on her rear and staring in shock, “Nicocchi!”

”Weird times, right? Cards. Explain ‘em.”

Nozomi blinked a few times, her hand on her cheek, “Right. Cards.”

”Not so fun when you’re the one on the receiving end, is it?”

Pulling her cards out and shuffling, Nozomi recomposed herself enough to smile mischievously, “If you play rough with me, it tells me you want me to play rough back.”

”Poor Eli.”

”Could you just not. I have to keep reshuffling!”

”How come?”

”You’re supposed to keep the topic of your question prominent in your mind and heart as you ask the cards. They guide you and tell you when to stop shuffling, because that’s when they’re in the right order.”

”That’s... kinda neat. Not sure why you’re sharing so much lately, but Nico likes it. … Nico almost wants to try…”

At that, Nozomi pulled up short. She looked at Nico, then at her cards, and back again, “Usually you’d need a deck of your own. You build a relationship. You come to understand one another.”

”Would Nozomi be jealous if they talked to Nico~?”

”I think they want to try.”

”They’ve heard Nozomi’s heart sing praises of Nico so long that they want to see if she’s worth it.”

”Something like that, actually.”

Oh! Oh, how sweet. Nico beamed, hand to her heart, not expecting such an honest confession, “I guess it can’t be helped then! What should Nico ask about?”

Nozomi looked at her cards again and handed them over, “What do you want to ask them?”

“Nico has a few ideas, actually,” she replied, accepting them and feeling like the world was well and truly changing around her, “You’ll help Nico with the magic card language, then?”

Nozomi smiled, “Technically, if they’re speaking to you, they’ll speak to you in your language. If you’re unaware of meanings, it’ll try to show you from the pictures rather than their traditional interpretations.”

“Pfft. Cards are smarter than teachers,” Nico snarked, turning the cards over and over again before feeling where first to cut, “For some reason Nico wants to turn them around. Not flip, but like… upside down. Is that a thing?”

“Nicocchi may be a natural!” Nozomi gushed, now fully invested and leaning in, “That is absolutely a thing. You should do whatever the cards suggest. Follow your instincts and your heart. Some say that divination tools are just a means for you to read the echos of your own heart and soul which has already accepted the truth.”

Nico grinned and began turning and folding and shuffling, “That’s a very romantic thing to consider. Nico is going to focus now.”

It didn’t take long. Barely fifteen seconds in, her mind deeply locked on amethyst eyes, dark red hair, and the plaintive desire to know what their future held together, Nico felt the urge to stop and pull the top card. The second on the pile fell onto the ground in front of her and the third onto her lap.

“Oops! Nico is clumsy!” she laughed, placing the deck beside her and reaching for the card between them, but fell short as Nozomi reached out and grabbed her hand.

“Don’t. It’s significant when that happens as well. First, what did you pull?” Nozomi said, ferocious with interest.

“Uhh…,” Nico began and sure enough held one of the few major arcana she recognized. The Lovers. Any amusement at the exercise vanished. Staring at the card, she felt cold. The card’s face seemed to mock her as if to say, "You doubted?" Nico’s gaze flitted from the card to her suddenly far more impressive friend.

“Nicocchi?”

“Nozomi... “ Nico whined in a tiny, quiet voice as she turned the card around, “What does it mean if the card is upside down?”

Nozomi’s expression didn’t make Nico feel any better, but her words were comforting. Soothing, even, “As a general rule, it often means it’s interpretation becomes reversed or twisted. It could mean it’s just to a lesser degree. This card reversed usually means disharmony in a relationship. Unbalanced values. Things that would make the relationship harder.”

Nozomi was close. She seemed to be taking care to avoid touching any of the cards or Nico herself, but she was close enough that Nico could feel warmth returning to her fingers. This was stupid. This whole thing was stupid. Cards were stupid, love was stupid, magic was stupid… but she couldn’t bring herself to think that the careless, messy, refined redhead was stupid, so she put on a brave face and scrunched up her pending tears , “So it’s not a bad thing?”

“Not always,” Nozomi replied, so warm, so patient, so caring, “That’s not really how it works. This just means there’s some work that needs to be done to turn it right-side up. Did something happen last night?”

Only the world turning on her head. Only a rude interruption in the course of her life. A big red beautiful boulder dropping into her flow. Why was she so fucking upset right now? That a card vaguely suggested this might have been a bad thing? That it could disappear? This really wasn’t in the plan, after all. Love was for after graduating as an idol and starting her follow up film career. Glitz, glamour, and larger than life. Now larger than life was meeting her after class and it all felt so huge and they barely knew one another and Nico rushed everything because she fell under a spell and because Maki was so pretty and clingy and happy and passionate and patient and deserved to be treated right and fall in love properly and have all the small buildup moments that love was supposed to come with that Nico had always wanted too and now she’d ruined everything an-

“Nicocchi... “ Nozomi interrupted, suddenly at her side and arms around her, “Breathe. Just breathe. Slowly. It’s okay… It’s okay…”

… and now she was crying. Big, stupid, hitching sobs. She’d dropped the card and felt guilty for that too. Was she going to fumble with everything in this relationship? She was really even in a relationship? Last night and this morning and lunch had happened? Seriously? Could she even be an idol anymore? Her heart was supposed to be dedicated to making everyone smile, not just her family and pretty first year redheads.

“Shh… it’s okay… you’re going to be okay…”

She even made the first move! Maki had been vulnerable, had been in her care, had trusted her and then Oop! Here comes Nico-Senpai. Tiny, clumsy, bull in a china shop Nico came barreling in, giving in to late-night bedroom eyes and hearing for the first time in her goddamn life that… that she… and now she’s crying harder… DAMMIT!

“Nicocchi… what did she do? You can tell me…”

“She didn’t do anything wrong,” Nico whispered after another minute of being doubled over, “Nothing at all. This one… this one’s all me.”

For some reason, Nico felt surprised when Nozomi didn’t let go. She just kept rocking her back and forth until the tears quit flowing. It took a while, too. Had Nozomi always been this good a friend? Maybe Nico had missed out a little. After a few shuddering breaths, Nico sat up and picked back up the Lover’s card. She turned it again (making a point to turn it right-side up) to Nozomi, who had remained close. She took a deep steadying breath and and said, “This happened. Don’t tell anyone, okay? Even Eli.”

Nozomi nodded silently… and then again toward the ground as she said, “The deck had two more cards for you. The one on the ground should probably be next. I’m sorry your first time doesn’t seem to be going very well…”

Her first time had been great. It was distracting how Nozomi’s hand, so comforting on her shoulder, was pressing into a spot that a few hours ago had a passionate Maki whispering and biting into. Would it always be like this? Was everything from here on going to remind Nico of raccoon-eyed Maki? Out loud, Nico managed, “Don’t be. Nico is alright. Mostly just surprised that Nozomi was actually magic is all.”

“Everything is magic, Nicocchi,” Nozomi replied, mussing her hair a little, “I’m surprised by you, too. I thought you shined so much just because you’ve always been an idol to me.”

The tears welled up again and Nico put her hand on Nozomi’s, “Come on Nozomi. Eli’s going to get jealous.”

“Nicocchi. Card.”

“Yeah, yeah. Card,” Nico said as she reached forward, “Sorry Deck-san, Nico is bad at this.”

She flipped the card and frowned, feeling a far deeper sense of concern than before. The ten of swords again. Some poor sap taking a dirt nap with some oversized acupuncture. Nico turned to Nozomi and asked, “Is this card supposed to represent Maki-chan or something?”

“I thought she’d be the Hermit, to be honest. That’s how she usually pops up unless you’re nearby. What fell on your lap?”

Covering the upsetting image with The Lovers, Nico turned over the card on her lap and discovered that it was two, perfectly aligned. Nozomi let out a snort of relieved amusement at the sight of The Star peeking out from under the seven of Pentacles, “That’s our Nicocchi alright...”

“Do these things come with an official translation guide or anything?” Nico groused, still barging forward and putting on a brave face, “If these are Nico, then... Nico is farming star power and will eventually be a star?”

“That’s not really what those cards traditionally mean, but the symbolism is so fitting for you that that’s exactly how I’d have read it. … Only that the top one there also suggests that you’re worried all your hard work won’t pay off.”

“Nico thinks your cards are very chatty.”

“They must like you a lot. They’re being very direct.”

Nico tried to be encouraged by the reading… but what good would it be if she reached the stars but left people who were important to her lying shish-kabobbed in the dirt? Because Maki? Maki had very quickly become very, very important to her. This wouldn’t fly. Not at all.

 

\------------------

 

The rest of the day couldn’t have gone slower. Nozomi had decided to keep the rest of their rooftop liaison light, while giving her an additional primer on how to tarot. It had gone from scary to fun with how enthusiastic Nozomi had been. Together they had done simple readings on Nico’s siblings, focusing on traditional spreads and dispelling some misconceptions on the special “major arcana” cards.

The entire encounter left Nico feeling somewhat bitter at the past two years. That she’d lost out on so much time she could have spent having at least one person to regularly confide in. Then again, it was easy to forget with how direct Nozomi had been today how infuriating she could be when she’s putting on her “wise from afar” act.

The rest of the school day was a bog of boredom, anticipation, and suppressed concern over whatever those cards were talking about. The clock was more her enemy than ever and study was straight out. Her classmates were giving her a wider berth than usual as nervous energy left her shoulders seized and rigid. Nico didn’t want any of these hours that sat between her and the end of this school day. In those hours, something very unsettling had occurred to her. Maki now knew way more about her than she knew about Maki. The imbalance was dramatic, and while that may not be what the cards were referring to it was still not cool. Not cool at all. Maki hadn't said much of anything about herself or her situation. Every time, she'd managed to put off the topics. Nico learned a lot by her behavior… but the difference she’d encountered in their limited time together today had been so staggering from last night’s that… well…

Nico was eager to flesh out this relationship, innuendo entirely unrelated.

Moments after the bell had rung and the teacher had finished wrapping up, she was out the door. She stormed down the halls, face determined and had no intention of letting anything or anyone get in her way. The music room was closer to the first years than the third year classrooms, so it was likely that Maki would be waiting there. The intensity in her gaze must have intimidated everyone in her path. The post-class crowd parted before her, making the trip quick, but not quite quick enough.

Somehow, Maki had beat her. An ocean of keys were spilling from the room that had attracted the attention of a few other students. Said students quickly dispersed as Nico approached, but the sound of that music was unlike anything she’d heard last night. This was no pop music, no television cover. This was something classical… and the pace of the notes were straight up intimidating. They rolled over each other, twinkling in fervor… though… despite their pace, the song sounded melancholic. (For the curious, she's playing the piano part of Saint-Saens’s Carnival of Animals - Aquarium) Nico couldn’t help but hesitate as she approached the door, waiting for the song to end before she reached the window. Before she could reach the handle, another piece began, this one far less mysterious but still wildly impressive.

The window revealed her redheaded pianist bobbing and flowing, barely visible as she could only imagine the concentration required to maintain that cascade of notes. Nico couldn’t help but twitch when her head bobbed high enough to show that the girl’s eyes were closed. All of that was from memory? (Chopin’s Minute Waltz this time) In the time Nico spent stepping back and feeling impressed, the music stopped. Through the window, their eyes met. Did Maki look… embarrassed? That was kinda cute.

Nico took that as her cue. She stepped into Maki’s “special place,” with as casual a, “Yo,” as she could manage, “That was pretty impressive. I think you were holding back on the kids last night.”

That seemed to put her at ease, just a bit. Maki stretched, cracking her shoulders and then her knuckles over her head. She still had that mostly stoic face from this morning. Her expressions really were more subtle when rested, but the quiet crooning noise she made while stretching held plenty of character for Nico to feel drawn to.

“Sorry, I was just feeling anxious. Challenging pieces like those really help clear my mind,” Maki replied before covering the keys with a slide out shelf that Nico had no idea existed, “Did you have a good day?”

“It’s better now. It was hard for Nico to focus on class knowing she had a music room date after~”

Smiling more now, Maki straddled the bench and leaned back on her hands, “It was the same for me. I can’t help but want to skip juku tonight… but it’s a lot harder to catch up there than regular classes. Still…”

“Hey, don’t look at Nico,” Nico shrugged, “I’m hardly a good example of how to be a good student. This is the piano, then?”

Maki slid her fingers over the covered keys affectionately, “It is. Until yesterday, I expected this would be my best friend until I graduated from high school.”

“No way,” Nico replied, approaching and sitting properly on the half of the bench that Maki yielded to make room, “It’s just, like, your first month here, right? I’m sure everyone’s just intimidated by how pretty you are. A minute of that goofy smile you showed me and your class would be falling over themselves trying to get to know you.”

Pink splashing her cheeks, Maki denied, “It’s not my face that’s chasing them off. It’s the name.”

“Oh yeah, the hospital thing.”

Maki snorted, “Yeah, the hospital thing.”

“Alright then, pretty rich girl,” Nico began with a cheeky grin, “Tell Nico about your special place since Nico gets you all to herself for now.”

That banished whatever funk seemed to remain in Maki’s demeanor. She brightened up so quickly that Nico felt her idol pride surge. Maki continued, “Sometimes it’s hard to get play time in at home. Papa’s not very fond of how much time I spend at the bench, so I try not to do it as much when he’s home.”

Papa, eh? That yanked an unexpected heart-string, but Nico kept her interested smile rolling. It wasn’t easy given the implications, but since it didn’t seem to give Maki any pause, it’d be something for later. Whatever his issues with her playing music mustn't be the point she was leading up to.

“Now, that hasn’t been a problem recently. I usually don’t seem them unless I swing by the hospital on off-juku days. Their schedules have them working late. Sometimes they don’t even come home for a week at a time. It’s gotten hard to keep new doctors at a smaller hospital like ours with all the newer facilities popping up all over Tokyo, so they put in a lot of overtime to make sure the staff isn’t too overworked.”

“That’s kind of cool of them, actually,” Nico admitted. It wasn’t too far off from what Mama was doing after all.

“Yeah, so when they’re home I like to make sure they don’t have any additional stress, even if that means I have to get my music time in elsewhere. This piano makes sure that’s possible,” Maki continued, reaching into her bag, “I’ve got a notebook or two with original pieces I’ve been fiddling with here and there for a while.”

“You said you did that song Kousaka’s group did in one night?”

“Start Dash? Yeah,” Maki agreed, suddenly looking very excited and leaving the notebooks in the bag, “It’s usually not like that, but I read Sonoda’s lyrics and it was like... it was like my blood was on fire. That song practically burned trying to get through my fingers. I hadn’t felt like that in years!”

“Ha!” Nico cracked, “You talk like you’re an old lady. How long have you been writing?”

“I… huh. Not sure. I’d have to check my books. I usually date these things. I can show you when we get home,” Maki began and then paused. Her face became uncertain before she continued, “If you’re still alright with the idea…”

“”Nico has been waiting all day to see Maki’s special places! Maki’s room must be one of those, right?”

There was that smile again, “You’d be the fourth person to see it.”

“Such an honor! Clearly you’ve been saving this momentous occasion for meeting the most beautiful girl in the world!” Nico jibed.

Maki giggled a little, sending Nico’s heart into a tailspin before the redhead smashed it into the tarmac, “Most beautiful? It’s hardly fair to claim such a subjective title, don’t you think?”

Nico pouted. Hard. In her flattest voice, she argued, “Maybe, but Nico was talking about Maki-chan’s world.”

“Oh,” Maki replied, withdrawing slightly and losing her finger in her hair. The twirl seemed to be a go-to fidget for the younger girl, “Well… I guess it would be fair to say that… since it’s just my opinion we’re dealing with here.”

All. Was. Forgiven. Nico replied in a small voice, “Hey… do you want to go back to your place now?”

“Right now? And skip class?”

“And skip class. To be with me.”

Maki gulped hard, her cheeks clearly burning as she looked away and nodded slightly, “I do. Want to.”

Nico felt that heat as well. The implications in her wording were totally unintentional, but they’d done the trick. Still, she didn’t want to be misinterpreted. Nico reached out and rested her fingertips on Maki’s knee, "It might be hard to, but when we get there, I want to talk. A lot. I showed you a lot yesterday. More than any other single person aside of Nico and Mama knows. Not everything yet, but a lot.”

Nico locked eyes with Maki, who seemed to squirm under the scrutiny, ““I want to know you. Everything about you. I want to know what food you like, what music you listen to, what you read, how you feel… Maybe I’m being selfish, but… that’s what I want.”

“I…” Maki began, before covering Nico’s hand with her own and scooting closer, “You’re not the selfish one here. If there’s anything I learned yesterday… it’s that Yazawa Nico is not a selfish person.”

Nico’s heart ached, “I’ve got you fooled pretty well then. Like I said. Give Nico time before you go devoting someone as special as Nishikino Maki to her.”

Maki seemed to be in pain too. She lost eye contact as Maki replied, “Nishikino Maki isn’t special at all, Nico-chan. You’ll see… but I’d be honored to show you.”

Nico felt that this was getting too deep for such a public space, but scooted closer regardless. Practically in the other girl’s lap and well into the intimacy threshold, “Then let’s get going. Remember. When we get there, we talk. The… other stuff could come later. Maybe. If Maki-chan wanted.”

Maki closed her eyes and leaned forward, brushing her cheek against Nico’s unexpectedly to whisper, “That’s exactly what Maki wants.”

 

\------------------

 

 

  
  
  
  
A/N:  
  
Took a while to get this together. Youmacon destroyed us with con plague so we kinda lost a week. The show went well, though. A good last convention for the year.  
  
I absolutely did not expect to have Nico commandeering every other chapter, but she reaaaally wanted her opinions to be known. Also, I'm kind of enjoying weaving their perspectives and changing who is behind the wheel. It's a small consolation given how these two have already ignored my notes on how this all was supposed to go down. These two goobers weren't supposed to hook up to this level for quite some time. It'll be interesting to see how they manage this moving forward.  
  
Unrelated to this story, if you haven't checked out Arcanine's Trying to Play it Cool series yet... treat yo' self (http://archiveofourown.org/series/737124), and BlinkKittyLove's Casual Lunacy (http://archiveofourown.org/works/11144994/chapters/24865002) is the highlight of my week. <3


	8. Playing Catchup

Winding time back a bit, Maki was feeling disappointed at having to leave the clubroom. After years of bucking up on her own through the exhaustion and the pain of countless bumps, scrapes, and bruises her klutziness earned her, getting spoiled like that was a glimpse of a much sweeter life. Nico smelled nice. She was warm. Her fingers were slender and her nails strong, which felt amazing when running through her hair. Maki could have spent a week, just laying on those side-by-side chairs, if it meant Nico’s fingers in her hair.

Technically, this was exactly what Maki wanted. Almost precisely what she’d fantasized about… but the surge of feelings that came along with telling Nico that she’d be waiting for her in the music room were overwhelming. Scary, even. Maki never considered that getting what she wanted so quickly would add anxiety to her exhilaration. It had been so long since someone had shown such genuine interest in her, as a person, that has interests and wants and needs. Suddenly having it shook her to her core. It felt so good, but it was all so intimidating.

Intimidating, but still hard to walk away from.

Fortunately, or… maybe not, she didn’t get to focus on those feelings for long. Not three steps past the club room’s door, Minami-senpai slammed into her, linked arms with her, and started dragging her down the hall hurriedly saying in a single breath, “Oh good! I was hoping I’d run into you. Come on, we need to talk.”

After Maki had finished squawking and rediscovered her center of balance, she managed a stern, “Hey! I need to get to class!”

“Nope. Not right now you don’t. Right now, you’re coming with me, Ni-Shi-Ki-No Maki.”

“Senpai!, seriously, I’m going to be late…”

“Please. I heard how you spent your morning. You think your evening classes are going to be any less boring?”

“Wha?! How did you?”

“You weren’t at your class. People didn’t seem to mind talking about you while you were gone, though. You’re pretty popular, aren’t you?”

“I… what?”

“Down here,” Kotori directed, making a tight turn down a stairwell and accidentally driving Maki to clip her shoulder on the frame.

“Ack, hey!”

“Sorry, but we’ve got to hurry.”

Now fully annoyed, Maki glared and snapped, “If you’d tell me where we’re going, then you wouldn’t have to drag me!”

Kotori replied in a sing-song voice, “If I let you go~ You might run away~”

Maki ground her teeth and shot back in the same tempo but with far more heat, “If you don’t let go~ I’ll throw you down these stairs~”

“Ooh~! So violent! Hush now, we’re going outside.”

Going from the dim stairwell out into the midday sun left Maki helpless as her vision adjusted. The world was a bright blur as Minami’s iron grip pulled her along the side of the school out toward the dojo and beyond to the storage shed. Unsure of whether she should be outraged or fearing for her life, Maki allowed herself to be dragged inside.

“Good. Yeah, this should be good. Thank you for coming along!”

“Like I had a choice!” Maki bit back, backing away from her unfailingly cheerful assailant, “What is this all about, anyway?”

Minami sat on a stack of risers daintily, fixing her hair as she spoke, “We were all really happy to see you at the live yesterday. We all were. It wouldn’t have even happened at all if it hadn’t been for you.”

Thoroughly confused, Maki asked, “So… you thank me by kidnapping me?”

She laughed, “Oh, this isn’t kidnapping, and you know it.”

“Is this funny to you?”

“Hilarious!” Kotori exclaimed, arms wide, “... and very, very interesting. Honoka-chan thinks the world of you. She talks about you a lot.”

“Er... “

“She might not talk about it as much, but you made a really deep impression on Umi-chan as well. Her reaction is why we’re here right now.”

“I did?” Maki asked, surprising herself with how concerned she was over Sonoda’s opinion. It was strong enough to override her annoyance and current paranoia.

“Yup! She cried, but in a good way. Maki-chan’s music is really something special. When she heard that you’d made that song up overnight… when you told her how much you’d been inspired by her song, it moved her in a way I’ve never seen anyone do outside of Honoka-chan or myself.”  
  
“That’s… good then… right?”

“Absolutely! I’m very glad you’d volunteered to continue working with us. I was actually wondering if you’d reconsidered becoming a full member of μ's. Your voice is lovely and you’re very… very cute.”

The pause and the way the older girl was looking at her kept Maki from responding for a moment. She’d used that look on Nico several times today. She was relieved that she had a few hours of sleep in her, because dealing with this situation without would have been a nightmare. After a moment, Maki found her voice again, “... Thank you, but I’m sorry. I really can’t devote the time. Besides, there’s no way I could dance like that on stage.”

“Aww… Too shy?”

With a twitch at how taunting Minami’s voice sounded, Maki growled, “Too clumsy. I’ve performed in front of crowds before. That’s not the problem. My skill is in my fingers, not in my feet.”

“Ooo, suggestive,” Kotori teased, the innuendo nearly doubling Maki over.

What the heck was going on here? What was this? Feigning innocence, Maki replied, “Haa!? Jeez, I don’t get you. Anyway, I appreciate the continued offer, but I must decline.”

Without pause, Minami followed up with, “Has Honoka-chan asked you since that first time?”

“Only via Line.”

“Huh. Well, be on the lookout for her because I really think her heart is set on you.”

How had she gone from isolation to suddenly being so sought after? Maki supposed it made sense in the case of the idol group, given that she was providing a pro bono service that was difficult and expensive to procure… but the wording was so jarring and suggested such intimacy… it was wreaking havoc on her already amped libido. Maybe all of the connotation was coming from herself? That must be it. She was so excited about what was probably going to go down later today that everything became innuendo.

“Oh, and don’t worry if she makes another pass at you. That’s just Honoka-chan. You can shut her down without worrying about hurting her feelings.”

“What the hell?” Maki said, speaking her thoughts before she could consider her reaction. The recoiling was also involuntary, “... wait, another pass!? When did she come on to me before?!”

Kotori’s voice dropped an octave as she flatly replied, “She climbed you like a jungle gym and made like she was going to bite your ear. Honoka doesn’t do stuff like that unless she’s attracted,” and at normal tone, “She doesn’t even realize she’s doing it half the time.”

Somehow… with everything that had happened since… Maki had forgotten entirely about the incident. She let out a deep breath and leaned against a stack of barriers, “Right. Right. Yeah. That happened. Sorry.”

“It’s alright, she can be a lot sometimes.”

“You’re being a lot right now, senpai,” Maki replied without venom, instead sounding somewhat defeated, “... and I’m very late for class…”

“So stick around. I’ve wanted to talk to you, Terrible Tomato-chan.”

“Erk…” Maki twitched, suddenly remembering that the person in front of her was the same who had two separate Line handles… and one of them was fairly profane. Not that profanity bothered her, but seriously, who needed two handles?

“I’d like to get together with you,” Kotori continued, “You, me, and Umi-chan. I won’t pester you to be an idol, but if you’re going to continue writing music for μ's, we need our creative forces to cooperate. Umi-chan handles lyrics and choreography, I handle costumes, and you make us sound good. It’ll be hard to make something cohesive if we don’t all understand each other, right?”

“That... doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Why not coordinate this over Line? You didn’t need to drag me out here like this.”

“Because I don’t want to get Umi-chan flustered if you turn us down. I think it’d break her heart. That, and like I said, I’ve wanted to talk to you. Line is great and all, but I know how misleading it can be. You seem like a pretty honest girl. Easy to read in person. Your messages don’t have the same tells your body gives.”

At that, Maki squirmed… becoming extra conscious of the situation. Dim light, isolated, stuck in a room with a pretty girl that couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of her sitting between Maki and the exit. If it had been Nico, this would be beyond exciting… instead, there was just this dull anxiety under riding every word and gesture.

“Don’t worry. I don’t bite. What’s bothering you?”

“I don’t usually skip class,” Maki defended, uncomfortable in the knowledge that not even three days earlier she had been fantasizing about scenarios just like these… with any and all combinations of the three idol members.

“Well you’re a pretty good kid. Umi-chan would be mad if she knew I was doing this. Maybe it could be our little secret?”

Maki swallowed and noticed her finger was back in her hair, twirling away. She left it there. The twirling and tugging was comforting… and could serve as her canary for when this mine got too stifling, “I don’t see a reason why not. Was there anything else?”

“Actually…” Kotori began, sliding off the stack of risers and brushing off her skirt, “There was one more thing I was curious about.”

The undercurrent of anxiety spiked as the fair-haired girl approached. Kotori’s hands were behind her back. She was shorter than Maki, but for some reason… right now... those roles felt reversed. Her gait seemed unusually bouncy as well, like she was trying to get her hair to sway just so. Maki couldn’t help but press herself backwards against the dividers as the girl came uncomfortably close and leaned in.

“You’re dating that third year, Toujou, aren’t you? You’re into girls, right?”

The tension receded a little from Maki’s shoulders, but the way her body was responding to the proximity made her deeply uncomfortable. She swallowed and managed, “No, no, no. Toujou and I aren’t dating. I was having a rough day yesterday and I kind of just dragged her along when I saw her outside of the auditorium… I kind of feel bad about it now. You’re the second person to assume that! She’s just someone I’ve happened across a few times is all. We’ve barely even talked.”

Minami looked… disappointed? She quirked her lips back and forth a few times, making her nose wiggle like a rabbit’s as she pulled back away. Then she just kept staring... like… oh… like she was waiting for the rest. Maki waited her out, which seemed to bolster Minami’s confidence, “... No denial, huh? I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I just said I wasn’t dating her!”

“I heard,” came her cheery sing-song reply, “... and I’m glad. What do you think of Umi-chan? ”

“Haa?!” Maki blurted, poleaxed around the question. Was Minami trying to hook her up with Sonoda? Was Sonoda interested in her? Sure, working with the mature, fit, and adept songwriter could be a dream. She was definitely attractive, and absolutely one of the most respectable people in the school. Play the social protocol card. Feign for time. “What about her?”

“Would you date her?”

“I highly doubt someone as busy and with as many admirers as Sonoda-senpai would be “on the market,” Minami-senpai. Besides, aren’t you being a little presumptuous here?”

“Probably. I just think we should be honest with each other since we’re going to be working together!”

“Those are two completely different things!”

“Maybe, but they’re related as far as Umi-chan’s happiness is concerned,” Minami pondered aloud.

“Please. I hardly believe that she’s pining over a first year with a basic grasp of melody.”

Now Minami looked annoyed, “I think Nishikino Maki might be selling herself a little short.”

“Not at all. I’m just attributing standards to someone as competent as Sonoda-senpai.”

“Ah… well… I thought you...”

Seeing Minami retreat even just a little reminded Maki that she’d been on the defensive this entire encounter. Indignation trickled into her brow as she pressed the advantage.

“Also, my sexuality shouldn’t be that much of a concern one way or the other, right Minami-senpai? I’ll be able to write your music regardless. When would you suggest we meet up? Also, if the three of us are going to do all the creative work on this, what is Kousaka-senpai going to contribute?”

“Eh heh,” Kotori retreated further, “Honoka-chan is more of an idea girl.”

“Right,” Maki continued, rising to her full height. She had to get out of this room, away from this cute girl she’d fantasized about not even two days ago, and figure out how to establish some sort of boundaries for her body to respect, “Give Sonada-senpai my regards then? I’ll look forward to working with you.”

Maki forcibly removed her finger from her hair and turned her eyes toward the door. A deep breath in and she stepped past Minami and her curious, interested smile, “Oh? Going so soon?”

Maki didn’t slow her pace or look back. Doing so would be to yield ground again. There was only one person she wanted to feel some of the things she’d felt in this room toward… and it wasn’t Minami or Sonoda. Maki may be new to this relationship thing, but she at least knew she shouldn’t entertain thoughts like those involving people that weren’t your partner. Keeping step, Maki continued, “If there was nothing else, I thought I’d stop by the nurse’s station, grab some coffee and see if I couldn’t salvage the rest of the class.”

Strong fingers wrapped around Maki’s wrist. Her eyes widened, her pulse shot up, and she whirled around with heated words primed. Words that failed as she saw the older girl’s face rushing toward hers. Maki could only flinch as Minami stopped just short of headbutting her, the girl’s fair bang’s pressed firmly against her brow. Her amber eyes wide and intimidatingly eager.

“Tomorrow. Meet us in the music room tomorrow. I’ll bring Umi-chan. Would that work for you?”

Her breath smelled like spearmint. It took her back to this morning with Nico’s mug. Bunnies, spearmint, and chocolate. This was like that with the warmth removed. Not cold, but chilling nonetheless. “Y-yeah. Tomorrow. Sure.”

Maki’s eyes flitted down to her hand. Minami’s grip was surprisingly strong. The urge to return the favor and show her what a pianist’s fingers were capable of surged as Maki’s discomfort peaked. The strain to keep her voice even made it sound cold, “Was there anything else?”

“Nope!~” Minami replied cheerily, her hands retreated behind her now, “I’m looking forward to it! Would you like snacks?”

Maki pulled away. The heat in her cheeks felt traitorous. She wanted out of this room and away from the contradictions gripping her. The only thing that came to mind for her to reply with as she left the room and the curious girl’s glowing amber eyes was, “Strawberries would be nice.”

 

\------------------

 

What the hell was that? No, seriously. What the hell was that!? As soon as Maki had been sure she was out of view, her pace went from confident stride to a swift paranoid shuffle. The nurse seemed surprised to see Maki scurry in, continually looking over her shoulder. She shot her coffee down fast and with shaking hands, more for headache prevention than a pick-me-up. The heat seared her throat, but thankfully missed her tongue. Dammit. She was upset.

Maki thanked the nurse for the coffee, apologized for not returning her greeting, and shuffled back to one of the beds. All unoccupied, thankfully. She covered her head with a pillow, but just couldn’t keep her eyes closed. Everywhere she couldn’t see was staring at her. Her skin crawled and no amount of rolling around was helping. Maybe she should just go home... but the very thought brought a sting to her eyes. She was really looking forward to showing Nico the music room! She couldn’t leave now.

But she couldn’t stay here.

Maki straightened the sheets as quickly as her shaking hands would allow and shuffled back out toward the hall. The nurse looked confused, alarmed even, but she was helpless before the power of social protocol, which Maki laid into heavily by thanking the woman and apologizing for the trouble.

She checked the hallway, making sure she wasn’t going to get ambushed again, and started for the stairwell. She ignored the nurse’s voice behind her, feeling only marginally guilty for the concern she heard. She smoothed out her uniform and tried to fix her hair, which was already in place. She wanted Nico’s nails, just for a moment. Her own were clipped short to avoid breaking them on piano keys. Her anxiety felt it appropriate to replay the times she’d bent them back way too far during practice. It only took twice for the lesson to stick.

Her steps made too much noise and there was someone else in the stairwell. Someone from below, where she was originally going to go. Maki could imagine who it might be. If her second-year senpai were coming up and were to meet her in the stairwell, who knows what she’d do next. Maki climbed instead of descended, keeping her steps light and even leaning forward enough to use her hands on the steps ahead. It was fine. No one could see her transgression. She just didn’t want to make noise.

She kept going. Up and up. Now scrambling more than walking. Anxious energy and fast breathing took her past the third years’ floor and to the roof access door. She couldn’t hear steps anymore, but she couldn’t take the chance. Maybe she couldn’t hear them because she was breathing so hard. Maki winced at the noise of the crash bar’s almost silent squeal and the door giving way. She scrambled back out into the light and hurried behind the door, easing it back into place. Her vision hadn’t adjusted so she focused on getting her breathing to slow. Inwardly, she cursed the caffeine and how her anxiety fed off the energy it revealed.

“Eh? Maki?”

Maki shrieked and jumped away from the voice, tripping on her feet and dropping onto the ground. Well, not the ground, the roof. The roof which was surprisingly warm. Her hip was not happy with the collision, but at least she hadn’t cracked her head again… just her shoulder against the masonry of the entryway.

“Oh! I’m sorry! It’s okay! You just surprised me!”

Focus finally returned, revealing Toujou-senpai. She looked concerned as she asked, “Are you alright?”

Maki’s heart was racing at an annoying record pace. Her shoulders wouldn’t stop shaking, but she still reached out for the offered hand, “Y-yeah… I’m fine. Sorry.”

“You don’t look fine. Would you like to go to the nurse’s?” Nozomi asked, pulling the trembling redhead to her feet and looking alarmed.

She’d just come from there! Still, laying down would be nice right now. At least Nozomi’s hands were soft and warm, not the chilled iron from Minami, “No. No. That’s fine. Sorry for troubling you.”

Maki stopped, forgetting to let go of the offered hand. She frowned as something churned in her mind through the static of anxiety. Something she was supposed to remember…

Nozomi’s gaze flitted between Maki’s face and their still joined hands, “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re shaking.”

Of course she’d point that out. God, this must be the long awaited karmic balance for the good things that had happened lately. Even the breath she took to steady herself came out segmented and shaken. The contact between her hand and Nozomi’s was like static, but she couldn’t command her fingers to let go. She couldn’t seem to form any words either.

“Alright, come here, you’re going to sit down and you’re just going to breathe, okay?” Nozomi said, creating another crackling point of contact on her back as she guided Maki to the fence, “Sit. Breathe slowly. In through the nose, out through the mouth.”

Maki sat. Maki breathed. Maki hid her face behind her knees. This was so humiliating. Two days in a row? Two days in front of the same person? This was the worst. She was the worst. This stuff should be easy to deal with. All of it. The heat in her cheeks and the fire in her chest… she couldn’t tell if it was shame, rage, or frustration. It all burned just the same.

Tomorrow, she would eat the hell out of those strawberries. They would make her think of Nico. They would make her smile. She would talk to Sonoda-senpai and come up with some amazing song that would blow even Start Dash away. They would bond on some level and become good friends. She’d share the fruits of their labor with Nico and she’d be inspired and impressed and compliment her again.

God, this was pathetic.

“It’s okay. This seems to be going around,” Nozomi commented, “I was actually just going to head downstairs after helping someone else with something like this.”

“Toujou-senpai... is very kind,” Maki commented between breaths, proud that her voice didn’t squeak as her eyes leaked, “I’m really sorry about this. I just need a minute.”

“Take all the time you need.”

The breathing helped. The space helped. The time of just… not interacting with anything let her come down from what was clearly an anxiety attack. Knowing what it was somehow made it all the more frustrating. Sure, the past couple days had been… well… a lot, but still. In reflection, it had been the physicality of things. Too much intensity that was out of her control. Too many klutz moments. Scrapes and bruises. Grabbed wrists and slammed shoulders. Not the intimacy though… just its disappearance when really it was the only thing she felt genuine passion about.

She didn’t want notes and lectures and tense social situations with people who wanted her just for her skills… she just wanted to explore everything with this new exciting person who had opened her up so much in such a small amount of time. The time, space, and breathing helped… but it was centering her thoughts on the feel of that pink cardigan, mischievous eyes, slender fingers, and the scent of strawberries that really brought her back to focus. God, she couldn’t wait for this school day to be over.

“Thanks,” Maki managed, taking care to run her sleeve over her cheeks as she lifted her head. No need to display how bad that had gotten. She reiterated, “Thanks. I think I’m better now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I should be fine. I just need to make it to this evening.”

“If you’re sure.”

“Yeah. I’m good. I’m in your debt.”

“Not at all, I’m happy to help. If you really feel like you need to even the score, stop by the shrine and help out. A shrine maiden as cute as you would bring plenty of visitors!”

Twitch. Maki smiled crookedly while still avoiding eye contact, “I’m hardly suited for fanservice. There’s no way I could keep up with senpai in that department.”

“Uh huh… I’ve never heard that one before,” Nozomi replied wryly, “You must be feeling better after all.”

There was a sense of satisfaction at the interplay. If Maki could crack jokes, she could rebuild her dignity… but first, “Yeah. Like I said. I just needed a minute. So uhh… yesterday. I dragged you into the concert, didn’t I? Did you enjoy the show?”

Nozomi blinked, “It was fine. Sorry I had to leave half-way in. I was actually there to meet up with someone else.”

“Oh, I hope I didn’t…”

“It was fine, but you should really take better care of yourself,” Nozomi chided, “I was with Nicocchi when you passed out in the hallway. We carried you to the nurse’s station.”

“Ah,” Oh god, she passed out completely? They had to carry her!? “Well… err… thank you for that too, then.”

Knowing that she still had tonight to look forward to kept Maki from imploding from shame on the spot. If Toujou had been there during the blackout, she could help fill in the blanks… regardless of how embarrassing it was guaranteed to be. How had she tricked someone like Nico into taking such an interest? She had to know, so she pressed past her shame and residual anxiousness, “I… don’t remember much from right after the concert. Did anything happen?”

“You mean aside of passing out in the hallway? Not that I saw. I left after Nicocchi said she was going to take care of things,” Nozomi replied, keeping her eyes on the skyline. She seemed to be deep in thought, which was doing very little to ease Maki’s tension.

Even her drive for sticking through this day was starting to turn around on her. Yes, she wanted to have this evening with Nico. More than anything. However, her motivations were far from pure. Of course she wanted to know everything she could about the kind and generous girl who found something worth pursuing in her. Of course she wanted to share more of herself and her interests, if only to prove to herself that the older girl would still find her interesting after discovering them. Above that though? The main driving force that was getting her through this day and fostering an ever-growing seed of guilt in her heart?

Maki just wanted to get her girlfriend alone. She wanted to get her out of that uniform, admire her lithe dancer’s build, not have to think about anything and indulge in each other. To feel good… because Nico felt good. She tasted good. She was warm and made the most incredible expressions while contorting in the most beautiful ways and making the most unbelievable sounds. She smelled wonderful, even when musk overpowered the strawberry scent that always accompanied her. If anything, that was even more alluring.

This was a new ache, drowning out the numerous complaints from the rest of her body. This was the crap that annoyed her about boys, always talking about what they’d do if they could “get their hands on a girl.” Apparently, she was just as bad. Everything just kept looping around to the whispers of last night and the heady seductive rush of this morning. How the hell was she so shallow? She had someone who liked her! Someone who wanted to know her! Personally! This is something that Maki had wanted her entire life and now all her thoughts were focused on passion, pressure, and friction.

She really… really was the worst.

Maki felt Nozomi watching her, gauging her expressions. She was probably showing some pretty bad ones right now, because the older girl kept the silence rolling. The clouds were barely moving. The roof had grown from warm to nearing hot. Self-deprecation had pulled her out of anxiety and into familiar melancholy. Maybe she could get a little closed-eye time at the nurse’s station after-all.

“You’ve made quite an impression,” Nozomi started out of the blue, “On Nicocchi, that is.”

Maki felt the tension fade a little as curiosity took hold. She leaned back against the fence base and looked up to say, “She talked to you about me?”

“A bit.”

“Are you two friends?”

“I like to think so.”

At this Maki felt even more tension slip away. She really should have spent more time looking at Toujou instead of the sky or her shoes. Since the back of her mind was still replaying Nico footage, Maki didn’t feel guilt about appreciating just how pretty the peaceful upperclassman was. This person was a part of Nico’s life. Maybe she could be a part of her’s too.

“I hope the impression wasn’t too much of a bad one,” Maki let out.

“It didn’t seem bad at all. Just strong,” Nozomi replied, “Strong and surprising. Nicocchi doesn’t really open up for anyone. Nishikino Maki might be someone special.”

“Definitely someone who is lucky,” Maki relented, resting her cheek on her knee and wrapping her arms around her legs, “Maybe we can be friends too?”

At this, Nozomi’s passive smile broadened a bit, “We aren’t already?”

Maki matched Nozomi’s smile. Tension disguised itself as butterflies in her chest before fluttering away, “Is groping girls how you make friends?”

“It hasn’t failed me yet,” Nozomi winked, “Nicocchi screamed way louder than you her first time.”

Maki laughed at the thought, then pictured it and found the imagery far too enticing. She managed to hold on to the smile though.

 

\------------------

 

Shortly after, Nozomi played the responsible student council vice president and sent Maki back to class. The period had just ended and the thought of how much catch-up she was going to crunch was a little daunting. Well… more annoying than daunting. She just really liked sleep and knew she’d be missing it again soon. While Maki returned to the classroom, she was wondering if nocturnal gymnastics with Nico would mean a continuous flow of quality Z’s, but was interrupted with...

“Wow, you’re pretty late, Nyishikino.”

That stopped Maki short. She turned to her wiry tomboy classmate with an exasperated expression, “You’re reaching, Rin. Myaki would work way better.”

Rin recoiled in shock, making warding gestures with her hands, “Nyai’ve been outdone!?”

The next period’s teacher had yet to arrive, so the class had broken into its cliques which were surprisingly varied. Maki was surprised at some of the combinations. She was clearly behind on her local social scene and, thanks to Nozomi’s intervention, feeling together enough to give it at least a passing effort. Besides, she was curious.

Maki sat on Rin’s desk, offering the tomboy her profile, and crossed her legs. “So, I’ve got to ask. What’s with the cat thing?” Maki asked, drawing the attention of over half the class, but only noticing Rin and Hanayo’s.

“Nya?” Rin asked, quirking her head to the side, “What do you mean?”

Hanayo was hiding her face, which should have tipped Maki off that something was up, but the assumption reigned that the girl was just adorably shy. She pressed on, “The cat thing. All the Nyas and stuff. What’s up with that?”

“It’s cute, nya~!” Rin replied perkily, leaning back and spinning a pencil in one hand.

“... Part of your brand, eh?”

“Purrretty much. You were gone last period. Was Nyishikino not feeling well?”

Deep frown, stern voice, “Maki.”

“Myaki~”

“Better,” Maki relented and went back to expression neutral before answering, “... and yes, I was at the nurse’s, but I’m better now. Did I miss anything important?”

Rin looked a little confused at being singled out, but rolled with it admirably, “Only if you think Myath is important!”

“... Thanks,” Maki said, suddenly realizing she was out of things to talk about to Rin specifically. Must have used all of that social juice up on the “Myaki” comeback. Puns were SO not her thing. When she looked to Hanayo, she caught on that the class had gone silent and was tuning in to her conversation. Fortunately, she was on the far end of an emotional vent and no one was clamoring all over her, giving her the capacity to let out a general, unconcerned, “What?”

“You’ve been disappearing a lot, class rep,” Hanna said, “Some of us are just wondering what’s up.”

Maki slid off of Rin’s desk and made her way back to her seat, keeping her eyes on the desk and not the eyes of her classmates which were assuredly pinned to her, “It’s nothing big. Sorry if I made you worried and for not keeping up well with the class rep duties. You could still have the job if you want...”

“Nooooooooooope,” Hanna backed off, “Just concerned. You were really out of it yesterday.”

Maki dropped into her seat, plopped her bag in the seat’s caddy, and turned to reply, found she had nothing to share publicly on the subject and just shrugged, “Sorry?”

“Maybe it was becyause of the live?” Rin offered.

“Sure, let’s go with that,” Maki said with a wave, “Did we have any homework from last period I need to know about?”

Maki’s response didn’t seem to sit well with any of the others, but social protocol came to the rescue again. Since the subject had been dropped, Hanna was helpless but to respond, “Yeah, let me copy down what we covered and what we were assigned.”

Smiling more at the successful redirect more than Hanna’s generosity, Maki replied, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The pile of catch-up that was building would be inconvenient, but as long as she kept her ability to concentrate at least a half way through her next insomnia cycle, it wouldn’t be too big of a deal. It was the homework assignments that were the real chore. Tedious repetition that may serve the purpose of reiterating the lesson, but still just felt like bloat to her already busy schedule.

The class, seeing that there wouldn’t be any more entertainment coming from their rep’s antics returned to their previous conversations. Rather than tune in, Maki took advantage of the rest of the break to re-assess her schedule (while texting it to Nico)… and the encounter with Minami.

It was weird.

She was weird.

Just weird though… nowhere near as threatening in retrospect compared to how it felt being locked in that storage room with her. Alone. Bouncing between complimenting and asking pointed personal questions with alarming familiarity.

Again, weird.

‘I wonder if Sonoda is as bizarre on her own,’ Maki mused, pulling up the few Line conversations she had with the stoic member of the trio. Every interaction had one similarity. Unfailing professionalism. The wording was precise, polite, and some would say sterile.

Maki would call it comfortable. As much as her parent’s attitudes regarding social protocol grated her nerves, particularly after her musical interests expanded, there was familiarity there. Much like depression, if you spend enough time surrounded by it, it started feeling strange when it was gone.

The teacher finally arrived. Maki locked her phone, shoved her thoughts to the wayside, and settled in to actually be a proper student for the first time all day.

 

\------------------

 

Obviously, that didn’t last.

Time dragged as Maki’s anticipation grew. She wasn’t consciously thinking about it, but her music room date less than an hour away. Maki had long given up on marveling at just how much her priorities had changed or how intense it all was. Right now, she had jumped into straight up indulgence, fantasizing about all the things she wanted to (and was absolutely going to) do with that girl as soon as she had her alone.

Unlike the usual erotic daydreams she’d indulged in, she had much clearer visuals and far more realistic sensations to draw from. This wasn’t like conjuring the scene where Ayase-senpai and she were locked passionately together while Toujou pressed in behind her, biting at her shoulder… or the recurring one where she and Hanayo laid side-by-side, kissing with abandon while Rin took turns indulging herself with the two of them.

… Huh. What’s with all the Ménage à trois? Anyway...

She didn’t have to draw from her imagination what Nico looked, felt, sounded, or tasted like.

It was a brave new world… and an incredibly distracting one. She hadn’t even been able to focus on a single song all day. The only music she wanted to hear was her girlfriend’s voice. It would be embarrassing, but… embarrassment got in the way of enjoying this experience. You couldn’t really get in depth with fantasy if you were getting held back with some prudish social standard. That crap was for appearances. For how you presented yourself. Here, in the sanctity of her own mind, she knew who she was and what she wanted.

Sure, she might be disappointed in herself for not being more focused on who this incredible person was, or sharing the… admittedly finite parts of her emotional self. Maybe even a little disdainful for letting hormones and physical desire reign over the finer aspects of building a relationship.

But whatever! Pfft! Nico made the first move. She clearly didn’t mind getting physical. She obviously enjoyed herself. It was the first goddamn day of what would looked to be an engaging and fun relationship! They could have plenty of heart-to-hearts in the future. Besides! It’s not like she was going to strip her down in the music room. Not with the piano there.

Oh…

Oh, but how hot would that be…

No! Not going there. No thoughts of unbuttoning that cardigan as she sat straddled your lap, seated at the bench. No bared ankles locked as she lounged on top of that beautiful instrument, gazing lovingly with bedroom eyes as she enjoyed an expertly played serenade. Absolutely no way should the thoughts of her fingers grazing upward, past the untucked white button-up as she leaned her backwards over the top of the piano, gasping words of adoration into each kiss.

Shit. No.

Save it for home.

That room was for the music. The more familiar magic. Just… start the incantation there. Let the anticipation build. Maybe you could start a crescendo that could build, cresting at the front door of the house and crashing everywhere inside.

 

\------------------

 

Everyone stared as the class rep was the first one out the door. She was halfway down the hall before the first bell quit ringing. None of the class had seen her move that fast before, even in the gym. No one called her on it, but Maki’s face had gradually started to show the heat the rest of her body was feeling. She passed Kousaka-senpai in the hallway. The girl had stared and looked like she was going to burst out laughing at her kouhai’s power-walking. Maki, drunk on excitement, accidentally threw a wink in with her wave in passing.

Whatever. Music room date!

She crashed into the door, unable to get it opened in time with her pace. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her a little too firmly. Her breath came fast. She batted at her hair to get it back in place. Her heart was hammering in her ears, excitement gripping harder than any Christmas in memory. She needed to calm the hell down. She needed to focus. She needed to get this energy under control.

She had a girlfriend to impress!

Her haste didn’t apply to the care in uncovering the keys. She refused to add to the wear on the appearance of this instrument. The keys and the strings? Those she was about to lay into. Obligatory stretching, paced breathing, get the heart-rate out of the sixteenth beats and back into something resembling human. Twitchy fingers couldn’t carry a graceful melody.

Still, Maki needed something fast. Cascades of notes. The carnival waved and surged. The piano brought her calm. Her heart could devote itself to the task, removing herself as the rote of the piece dictated her motion. This was good… and as the piece wore on, she felt the desire for challenge. This was already in the upper reach of her skill, but if she really wanted to work those fingers she’d have to tap her grandmother’s favorite, Chopin.

She put on her cockiest smile and out peeked her tongue as her passion expressed itself in a flurry of frenetic, but calculated taps. The Minute Waltz. It wasn’t perfect. She didn’t have it in muscle memory yet, not entirely, but the burn in her biceps and the tug in her forearms was luxurious. She almost made it the whole way through, hitting a solitary high note which served as the entry to the final cascade when her head bobbing happened to coincide with her eyes opening.

There she was.

The half of a day that felt like a week spent hyping, daydreaming, and fantasizing finally brought them together again. So ridiculous, so dramatic, but still… her heart was doing somersaults. The conversation that followed, which we’ll leave without reiteration, was a last key turning. If Nico hadn’t stood when she did, leading her by the hand away from the piano, she… well… she had no idea what she would have done. But she would have done something.

The instant Maki heard the words, “I want to know you. Everything about you,” there was a shift. Desire had been disarmed. Left standing wide-eyed in the wind, stunned in the wake of her heart pounding for an entirely different reason. This… this wasn’t something she could have prepared for.

It was the most romantic thing she’d ever heard… and it was aimed at her, right in the feels, by her girlfriend, who she would be spending the night with. It took her breath away... or at least her voice.

Maki followed Nico wordlessly to the lockers. Their hands had parted after reaching the door to the music room, but Maki couldn’t bring herself to leave the smaller girl’s side. Neither of them spoke, even to people who waved in the hallways. All non-vocal communication. They continued to walk in silence, past the school yard, and over half way to Maki’s. All the way until they passed the point that Maki had first seen Hanayo and Rin on her first day.

“I forgot how long your commute was,” Nico commented.

“You knew?” Maki asked, grateful to have the silence broken and pouncing on the opportunity.

“Oh yeah, after you came to in the nurse’s office, I checked your ID to see if you’d be alright to make it home.”

“Really? Huh… well I’m glad it was so far off, then.”

“Heh, yeah. I was actually really pissed off at first.”

Blink. Concern. “Huh? Why?”

Nico pushed her hands into her blazer pockets and checked the clouds, “You were really out of it. The way you dropped? I thought you really hurt yourself. The nurse was gone, you were acting like none of it was a big deal, and you even said you’d gone through that before.”

“Oh… but what’s wrong with that? Why would that make you mad?”

“Because you shouldn’t have to be used to something like that! That’s awful! Jeez,” Nico said, glaring and thwacking Maki on the side with her bag.

“... so… what exactly happened. You know. After I dropped?”

“You don’t remember?”

“First thing I really remember was right before we went in to the grocery store.”

Nico turned in shock, “Wha?! Seriously? Nozomi and I had to lug your cute butt to the nurse’s!”

Warm flutters at the unorthodox compliment forced Maki to turn her head away. No way was she going to let Nico see her smile at a comment like that, “Yeah… She filled me in on that today after lunch.”

Further surprise, “You talked to her today?”

“Yeah,” Maki replied, feeling the adoration haze lift further as she remembered past irritation, “After Minami-senpai ambushed me, dragged me out to the storage shed, and tried to get me to join their idol group again.”

“... Your life is weird.”

How was that not annoying? That kind of response should be irritating at best. Instead, if felt like verbal rough-housing… so Maki hip-bumped the older girl in retaliation, “You’d be a contributing factor to that, Nico-chan.”

“Pfft! A “contributing factor”?” Nico scoffed, aiming a skeptical smile Maki’s way, “I contribute the fabulousness, rich girl. Your life was weird way before Nico made her grand entrance!”

“Maybe… I think things are going to be a lot better now,” Maki smiled, fondly hip-bumping again before considering just how her day had gone. Her smile faded.

“Of course they are, you’ve got the universe’s #1 idol in your corner!” Nico boasted, thumping her chest proudly.

“Heh. Yeah. The idol thing again. You know, those kids really believe in you,” Maki mused, turning further to face the smaller girl, “They think the world of you. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to hear what you’ve got later.”

“Ha! They seemed to like you too… and you’d better tie your shoes if you’re going to hear the angelic voice of Nico Nii~ otherwise I’ll blow your socks off!”

“You’d better. I’ve got some pretty high standards,” Maki teased, making a show of brushing her hair back, “You’ve got the confidence at least.”

“Heheh~ I’ll have to show you my moves next~” Nico teased with her cheekiest grin.

Red-faced, but not backing down, Maki retaliated with a grin of her own and a suggestively timed lip bite, “If you’re good enough, I’ll have to MAKE you sing for me.”

Nico whistled off her own blush, “Yikes. Subtle. You know, I was listening to you play a bit before I stepped in. You’re like… really good. I mean, I knew from last night you could play, but that was really impressive.”

“You were at the concert. That music was all me. How were you still surprised?” Maki jabbed.

“That’s different! That’s a recording! There’s a difference from live performance to post-edit. You didn’t even have your eyes open! How long have you been taking classes to do something like that?”

“I haven’t had a class since my first year of elementary.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true,” Maki preened, still red-faced but rolling with it, “I had a lot before then, but after... it was all self-taught and some time with Grandmother.”

“Ah hah~ So you had a wizened master, eh?”

“Eh… she just told me what songs to look up and practice. I still have a few bad habits I need to iron out… but I’m not bad.”

“Maki-chan needs to figure out if she’s proud or modest.”

Finger back in the hair, eyes aimed at the clouds, “I’m a rich girl, remember? I can have it both ways if I want.”

“Ha!” Nico scoffed, grinning throughout, “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d be pretty put off by that, Maki-chan!”

Red brow furrowed, indignant pout, “Put off? How come?”

Petite hand waving dismissively, “Entitled attitudes are the worst. Fortunately, I’ve seen Maki-chan’s true colors.”

“You’re not wrong, but you’ve got me curious.”

“Entitled rich girls don’t let messy little boys sit on their laps and wipe whipped cream off their faces. They get grossed out and need their space or their hair’ll get messed up... and I know for a fact that Maki-chan likes her hair getting messy.”

For as much as Maki had been waiting to see Nico, she was having a lot of trouble looking her way without her face getting hot. All the praise coming from someone whose opinion mattered was intense… and embarrassing. Maki staved off, “Makes sense… but that wasn’t a big deal. Papa arranged for me to intern as hospice care at the hospital once a week. Nothing Cotaro could do compares to that…”

“No shit!? Seriously? But, you’re like… sixteen!”

“Yeah, and also “The Heiress” who happens to be the daughter of two doctors running the place,” finger quotations before returning to intensified hair twirling. This is quickly reaching uncomfortable content, “I’ve been being groomed to inherit it since as far back as I can remember.”

“Whoa… so, you’re… you’re qualified to do stuff like that?”

Getting too deep to keep looking away. She’ll think this isn’t important. Maki looks to her impressed girlfriend. Her wide eyes stir confidence to continue, “Well, I only handle one patient and only once a week.”

“Jeez, Maki-chan. Class rep, cram school, musical production AND an internship at a hospital? No wonder you don’t sleep.”

“The insomnia’s unrelated,” Maki shrugged, “... and the music is the only thing that’s me. Everything else? Anyone could do that.”

It took Nico a beat to process, her bright eyes softening somehow before responding, “I don’t know Maki-chan… heiress? Inheritances? That’s some heavy stuff. You really are kind of impressive, aren’t you?”

Maki held the other girl’s gaze, knowing her face lacked the expression to convey the anxiousness that statement brought out. Still, it was a relief that the conversation had steered away from… “... Not really. That’s all just doing as I’m told.”

Maki turned back to the road ahead. They were deep into residential now. She had caught Nico’s disapproving look as she turned but feigned ignorance and berated herself silently for all the implied self-deprecation.

“Like I said, Maki-chan needs to figure out if she’s proud or modest.”

The words should have bit, but Nico’s light tone made it playful. Maki smiled despite herself, “Right. Well, you’ll be the first to know. Backstage pass and all...”

“I’m going to hold you to that. I can’t wait to know how Maki-chan spends her days when home alone when no one’s looking.”

“Wouldn’t that be impossible if you were watching?”

“My guess is Maki-chan wears fluffy pajamas all around the house with big fuzzy slippers.”

“PFFT,” Maki pffted, relief showing as incredulous denial, “No way. Pajamas are for when people are around.”

“Oh hoh~” Nico pursued, looking very excited at the reaction, “I guess that would be too juvenile for regal rich princess Maki-chan… silk pajamas? Oooh, I bet you walk the house in a fancy filigree bathrobe that has your initials engraved. Ooh! Carrying a cup of earl grey tea with you wherever you go. That’s what Nico would do.”

Oh that’s a nice visual. Shit. The suggestion took Maki back to her terrible music room thoughts. “Ha! Way off, Nico-chan,” Eyebrows raised, smile on, eyelids dropped, “You really want to find out?”

Nico caught the tone. Her eyes went wide. Maki imagined that look aimed at her as she’d strut around the house barely garbed only from the waist down. Nico looked like she might be imagining that very thing. Nico even shivered a little. Maki’d never tell her, but the size difference along with reactions like these? Intoxicating. This older girl may have inordinate power over her emotions right now, far more than Maki had ever expected, but seeing it was a two-way street was beyond exciting. Totally worth the wait.

Nico cleared her throat, “Hopefully Nico will find out soon. This walk is getting ridiculous… and these houses are huge.”

“Yeah, we’re pretty close… and we’ll have the place to ourselves. I checked in. Mama and Papa won’t get home until probably 3:00, and Waki-san already wrapped up for the day.”

“Waki? Who’s that?”

“Oh, she’s kind of the family caretaker. She handles all the household maintenance. She used to take care of me a lot too.”

“... You have a maid?”

“... Kind of?” Maki admitted, feeling embarrassed for explaining the situation so poorly, “Though, it’s not really like that? She’s... a friend of the family that… we pay? This isn’t coming out right.”

“She helped raise you, didn’t she?”

“... Yeah.”

“I think I get it,” Nico assured, patting her on the arm while looking as uncomfortable as Maki felt, “I bet she knows all kinds of fun, embarrassing little Maki-chan stories.”

“Not a chance.”

“Huh?” bright red owlish blinks.

“I’ve never made a mistake in my entire life,” Maki deadpanned through a blush, forcibly steering the conversation away from the uncomfortable content. It might have been a losing cause though as Maki stopped walking, “... and we’re here.”

Maki tapped her pass case against the reader strip and the gate audibly de-magnetized. She pulled the bars open and waited for Nico to close her mouth and re-engage with reality, “After you.”

Nico’s eyes flitted between the house and Maki a few times before she straightened her posture and put on a resolute face. Maki knew what was happening. She just had to wait and see how her girlfriend was going to roll with it. For now, she marched forward and Maki followed. The next couple of minutes could go two ways… awkward moments of processing the gaps in economic standings, or distraction. Lots of distraction.

But what way to go? Nico said she wanted to talk. Maki wanted to talk too, but… walking beside her unbelievably cute and ridiculously petite girlfriend, she also wanted to literally sweep her off her feet and carry her to the nearest comfortable surface for long overdue kisses. She’d have to think fast, because the front door was quickly approaching and neither of them were speaking.

There was music, but that would require getting to her room, the sitting room, or the living room. She could bring up a new conversation topic, but all of her processing power seemed to be preoccupied with either this thought train or the curve of Nico’s neck. There was food, but not a whole lot because… oh crap! She’d forgotten to plan ahead for what they’d do for dinner! Nico probably wouldn’t be good with just having a few pieces of fruit and a piece of bread, which was Maki’s usual mainstay when left to her own devices… if she remembered to eat at all.

Maki was unlocking the front door when Nico pulled her from her thoughts with a hand tugging at her sleeve and bright concerned eyes, “Hey… you alright in there?”

“Huh?”

Concern to amusement, “You look like you’re spazzing out a little. Don’t tell me. You left your underwear laying out or something.”

Oh thank god. She seemed fine. Relief loosened Maki’s tongue enough for an unfortunate, unplanned rebuke to slip out, “Pfft. I’ll leave your underwear laying out.”

Unsure if Nico was laughing more at the jab or the horrified face Maki made upon realizing she’d said it, Maki yanked the door open and rushed the two of them inside. As Nico tried to catch her breath, Maki called out an, “I’m home!” as a final precaution and check to see if they were well and truly alone.

If there was a reply, it was lost amidst Nico’s last gasping laughs and knee slaps.

“Oh god… smooooooooth.... Damn this place is nice. So, do you guys do house slippers or anything?”

“You can use mine,” Maki the living neon tomato gestured, “I don’t bother most of the time.”

“Gasp!” Nico said without gasping, taking on a faux-fancy tone as she exchanged footwear, “My girlfriend is so uncooth! What will the neighbors think? Mama might not approve of her daughter dating so crude a ruffian, you know?”

It was cute, but getting picked on so heavily was pulling Maki out of embarrassment and overloading her straight into fiery competitiveness. Her social filters were all over the place with this girl and she honestly just did not know where to go with these new standards, so for the moment she settled for narrow-eyed withering glare as she loosened her tie.

“Aww, Maki-chan looks so cute when she’s mad! Come on, let’s get to your room. I wanna see Maki-chan’s casual clothes~”

“Sure thing,” Maki heard herself grind out as she shucked her blazer jacket onto the entryway’s desk. They were really alone. This was her home and Nico was here. She wanted to see Maki in her natural habitat… so… she kept unbuttoning as she turned toward the stairs.

“I’ll show you the rest of the house after I drop this stuff off,” Maki said with a half turn from the stairwell, nodding upwards as her button-up dropped from her shoulders, “Come on, Nico-chan.”

Nico didn’t move. She just stared… and it felt good. Can’t make fun if your tongue is tied, can you? Maki continued to climb, unhooking her bra as she rose past her girlfriend’s field of view. That’s better. Put her through just a little of what you’ve spent your entire day wracked with. Cover up the constant social disasters with what you knew would work.

Maki considered leaving her bra hanging on the railing as she topped the stairs, but that would be too much. This really was just to get to her room and get changed. The teasing was just a confidence booster. This wasn’t going too far was it? Crap. Nico still wasn’t following and she’d be out of sight of the top of the stairs soon. Thinking fast, Maki called out, “Oh, if you’re still down there, can you get my blazer? I keep leaving it down there.”

“Yeah! No problem,” Nico called out and soon her girlfriend was on the stairs. Maki stood by her room, facing inwards so her back was facing the stairwell. She turned, making sure the doorway served as incidental censorship and quickly gauging how much was too much to show, making sure that her arm facing the stairwell was raised and on her doorframe. Stage that shot and watch the fireworks. She already knew which shirt she was going with once she went in. She knew which drawer it was stored in. She just had to see Nico’s face one more time before going for it.

… and Nico didn’t disappoint. She stopped at the top of the stairs and it was so hard not to saunter over and get the evening started. Backstage pass honesty paired with expression training made it very clear what Nico thought of the view. She pulled off “stunned and aroused” very well. It was very… very hard not to let the happiness bubble up into laughter.

Still, talking first. Right. “Thanks. Over here,” Maki called, walking in with a lingering ‘come here’ gesture, letting her loosened skirt drop in passing. As soon as she was out of sight she skipped to her drawer, ripped it open and pulled out her three-sizes-too-large Blast concert t-shirt. Mostly black, just a logo and their lead vocalist caressing their microphone on the front with lines of dates on the back. It may as well be a short dress on her with an extra wide neckline.

She’d never wear this in public. She’d never even mentioned the majority of the music she enjoyed to anyone else. This would be the first of many very personal, very private things she would share tonight. Nico was taking her time coming to the door, so there was plenty to spare in getting the neckline appropriately aligned, exposing her right shoulder and tugging it down past the swell of her hips. This was probably her favorite “I want to feel casually sexy” outfits in her wardrobe.

Maki topped it off with teasing her hair on the way back to the door. She swung out, forcing a confused expression when she really wanted to bite her lip, especially when she saw that Nico had only moved so she could support herself on the wall. Holy crap. This was fun. She kicked her skirt up to catch, lifting it in the best way possible to show off her legs. Nico had mentioned a few times how much she liked them and Maki was determined to punish her for the admission.

“What’re you doing?” Maki said, giving in and letting confusion fade to a smirk, “Come on.”

“Ah. Yeah. Right.”

Back inside, skipping the distance again to the record collection. She started leafing through to find the best music to suit her mood. It was hard to focus with her heart pounding away. Her smirk had given way to a grin that probably looked absolutely goofy. It was hard not to giggle and her toes were going nuts as she kicked off her socks.

Nico crossed the threshold. Maki gave her a minute, leafing through the vinyls, as she circled the room, taking in the view and looking at the collection of her most private things. Maki tried to play it off as if it wasn’t a thing, but every glance and reaction was precious. Her first year 2nd-place piano competition ribbon and bouquet got special attention, as did the guitar she hadn’t spent enough time learning to use and several of the family photos. It took longer than it probably should have, but Maki didn’t mind since she was the reason she kept getting distracted.

Maki was distracted too. This entire box was easy-listening jazz or… more passionate things. Either it was going to be too chill or it was going to make Nico think she was setting the stage for horizontal dancing. Shit. Her tastes were too varied and her stupid teenage libido had guided far too much of her personal/private discography toward the romantic and sexually charged.

Hell, even the shirt she was wearing betrayed that. The way she was wearing it. Nico came wanting to talk and every decision she was making was, intentional or not, leading towards very non-verbal communication. The only thing that had made her feel in control of the situation here was when she felt like she was revving the older girl’s engine. Maki tried to focus on the records, find anything that would work, but her eyes were just finding a list of potential mistakes and her hands trying not to shake with the rising concern over just how badly she might be messing this up.

The tension rose high enough that when she felt Nico’s hands settle on her hips from behind, she jumped and even (end me now) squeaked a little. The older girl didn’t seem to mind, as the hands Maki had daydreamed about all day slid up to her waist and around as Nico embraced her from behind. She felt the girl’s cheek on her shoulder as she whispered, “Maki-chan is mean.”

Excitement lanced down Maki’s arms as she let go of the records and hugged Nico’s arms closer, “Nico-chan is too much fun to tease.”

“... Make it up to me.”

Her entire body thrumming with anticipation, Maki managed, “Now?”

“Right now.”

Maki turned around...

 

\------------------

 

“This bed is way too comfortable.”

Maki snorted, nuzzling further into Nico’s shoulder, “It’s not too far off from yours.”

“You’re confusing Nico’s bed with Nico,” said Nico said, unable to look away.

“I’m pretty sure I can tell the difference…” Maki insisted, hugging Nico’s leg tighter between her own.

Their positions were reversed from this morning. Maki draped herself over a relaxed and slightly dazed looking Nico. She had absolutely no desire to budge from this spot because Nico was playing with her hair and seeming to revel in the rumbling satisfaction in Maki’s chest.

“You’re purring. My girlfriend purrs.”

“Mmm… keep doing that and I won’t stop.”

Nico stopped, and Maki pouted. Nico didn’t continue and Maki growled, pouting more pointedly as she pressed her head upward toward Nico’s hand. Nico laughed, so Maki bit her shoulder… hard.

“Ack! What the hell!” Nico laughed, “Alright, jeez. Violent Maki can be vicious. Be gentle with Nico!”

“Mmmm,” Maki grumbled happily, grinning as she nuzzled once Nico resumed the petting.

“I’m seeing all kinds of new sides to Maki-chan today.”

“I saw a few new Nicos today too,” Maki said, lazily walking her fingers along her heating pad’s shoulders, “They were pretty nice, but I think I’m going to keep seeing if I can find more.”

“A hungry Nico is getting pretty close. What’s on the menu?”

Maki responded by grinning, ensuring she made eye contact, and then nibbling on... the closest appealing thing.

“Nico. Is. Not. On. The. Menu,” was Nico’s reply, each punctuation accompanied by light bats at her partner’s hair.

“But then we’d have to get up…” Maki moaned, hiding her face back into Nico’s shoulder.

“It’s way too early for Maki to go back to sleep. Food. We need it.”

“Who said anything about sleeping?” Maki mumbled into Nico’s shoulder while squirming suggestively.

“Wow,” Nico griped without bite, resuming her head-scritching, “You’re really turning up the appeal here, aren’t you? Is this what Rested Maki at Home is usually like?”

Maki slowly shook her head in the negative. She dragged a hand along Nico’s stomach, up until she could flick her finger idly somewhere that would accentuate her point at each syllable, “Back. Stage. Pass,” and then flat-palm caressing with a contented sigh, “I’m just really happy right now. What would you like?”

She seemed to like the attention, if her toothy grin was any sign, “Ooo~ is Maki-chan going to cook for her Nico?”

“Sure. The finest delivery we can call for. I’m not getting up until I absolutely have to.”

“Spoiled rich girl,” Nico laughed.

Maki smirked and rolled overtop to straddle her bedmate, letting her hands wander until they reached Nico’s hair, incidentally no longer in pigtails. “You’re avoiding the question,” Maki asked, leaning in nearly nose-to-nose with a lazy smile, “What do you want?”

The heat radiating under her was thrilling, and the almost deliriously happy expression on Nico’s face kept Maki’s heart doing cartwheels, cheering to the sky. When Nico reached up to her shoulders and flipped her onto her back, straddling her in turn, Maki could do nothing but laugh and laugh and laugh.

 

\------------------

 

“Yes, thank you. That will be everything… right. Thank you very much,” Maki confirmed before ending the call and tossing her phone onto the sitting room recliner. She stretched high, reveling in the pops, strain, and attention the action brought, “NNnnn! There. Food’s on the way. Maki provides.”

“Oh my god, I am so hungry,” Nico laughed, sprawled on the couch, “How are you not dying? You’ve been way more active than me!” she was wearing Maki’s bathrobe popping grape after grape into her face.

Maki sauntered over, wearing only the earlier mentioned shirt, and flopping onto the space above Nico’s head, taking care not to sit on her hair, “It makes sense. I’ve been the active one, and you’ve been going through the way more strenuous and intense repeated physical reactions.”

“Your delivery is so clinical,” Nico laughed, offering up a grape, “I would have made that a crack about having eaten so much. I don’t know if that makes me crass, you classy, or what.”

Maki leaned over and bit down on the offering fingers, dragging the grape out of her grasp and drawing an outraged laughing cry of, “God! You’re so bitey! What the hell!” from Nico.

Life was heady satisfaction and the world was fun, new, and ever so playful. Maki chewed, swallowed, and bared her teeth to chomp a few times in Nico’s direction, “You like it.”

“Nope. No way. It hurts. You’re not making Nico a masochist, Nishikino Bitey,” Nico denied despite smiling the whole time, “... Maybe.”

“Call be bitey again and I’ll leave a mark next time.”

“Oooo~”

“So, this is the sitting room,” Maki said, gesturing wide, “That’s my piano, that’s a picture of Mama, Papa, and me on the mantle over there, and this is where we usually bring guests.”

“No TV?”

“People don’t come here to watch TV. People don’t really come here at all,” Maki laughed, letting her fingers play in Nico’s hair after she’d scooted up onto her lap, “The living room is like this one, only it has the TV. It doesn’t really get much use either.”

“Your parents’ job sucks.”

“Oh yeah. It’s awful,” Maki agreed vocally for the first time in her life. It came easy. It felt good, “I’m guessing the only good part is how many people they help.”

“I bet that’s the part Maki-chan looks forward to,” Nico chimed in, her eyes practically sparkling.

“Yeah. They’ve saved so many people. I’ve even been there a few times for it. It’s incredible. Terrible, but incredible.”

“Saved? What do they do?”

“They’re both surgeons. Mama is a neurosurgeon and Papa focuses on cardiovascular surgeries and administration. They’re… really incredible people.”

“Maki-chan’s pretty incredible herself.”

For once, Maki’s heart accepted the compliment without immediately protesting. Her smile crooked far into her cheeks and the happiness swelled, stirring her to action. Taking care to support Nico’s head as she replaced herself with a pillow, Maki slid to the floor, opened the bathrobe, pressed her lips into Nico’s stomach and...

“Ack! Why!? Why are you biting me now?!”

Maki laughed as Nico squealed and thrashed under her.

 

\------------------

 

“You like?”

“The kitchen? Yes. The food? Yes. The view? Also yes.”

Maki smirked and flipped off her girlfriend as she finished kicking her pants back toward the kitchen’s entryway, “You’re really tearing into that. Are you sure we ordered enough?”

Nico gasped and put a hand to her heart, “Rude. Nico has never been hungrier in her life. Pizza has never tasted this good before.”

“This place has the best sauce,” Maki agreed, grabbing a slice and dragging her stool so she could sit hip-to-hip, “Good call, by the way. I haven’t had pizza in months.”

“Ib I coub orber biff,” Nico began before stopping to finish, “I’d have it all the time. … What?”

Maki had only barely restrained laughing at Nico’s “talking with mouth full” face. Instead, she was failing to hide her smile behind a slice, “Nothing!”

“That’s right, nothing. Now eat the pizza and stop chomping Nico. I know I smell good, but I’m not made of strawberries.”

“Ha, you stopped smelling like strawberries about an hour in.”

“Less talking,” Nico advised before taking another bite, “More eabbing.”

Maki watched Nico chew. Nico noticed and stared back questioningly. Maki took another bite and met the stare, challenging with a grin. Nico shrugged it off, but didn’t back down. Another bite. Nico took a double-sized bite and Maki nearly lost it at how exaggeratedly she chewed. Maki countered by stealing a pepperoni off Nico’s slice without breaking eye contact. Nico close-mouth-yelled in protest, but was helpless to retaliate as her mouth was still full. Maki smug-faced in victory as she turned to grab a napkin. While her attention was broken, Nico flicked her ear. Maki turned in open mouth shock and made a show of biting into her piece savagely. Nico pulled away, wide-eyed.

They both stopped and cracked up. Maki sighed happily, turned to Nico and wagged her half-eaten piece at her, “This is good. I like this.”

“Hell yeah it is. What’s the name of this place again?”

“Not the pizza. This. You. Me. I like this. I like doing this with you.”

“Of course you do! You haven’t given Nico a chance to prove you wrong yet!”

“You’ve been here for hours. I’d say I’ve gotten a pretty good feel for you.”

Nico polished off yet another piece, dug out another, and used it to point up and down herself, “No, you’ve gotten a good feel of this.”

“Oh yeah? Just wait ‘til your stomach settles a bit,” Maki not-so-subtly-suggested, “... and I think you’ve shown more of yourself than you’re willing to admit.”

“What’s Nico’s favorite band? Her birthday? Favorite color?”

“That’s all trivia and I’m a quick study,” Maki replied without breaking her smile. The warmth that had settled in her heart under all the excitement was the most solid mood stabilizer she’d ever experienced, “Though, I’m pretty sure pink is your favorite color.”

“Red is making a pretty bold comeback. Purple too… seriously Maki-chan, what is with your eyes?”

“What? That I can’t take them off you?”

Nico recoiled with a laugh, “Oh my god, so cheesy.”

“You like it.”

Nico’s gaze dropped to her latest slice. She sighed happily and leaned on the counter, “Eh... Maybe.”

The two ate in silence for a bit, smiling, matching gazes and… well… really feeling it.

“Did you bring a change of clothes?”

“Nope.”

“I’ll run your stuff through the wash before we hit the bath.”

“Oh man, I can’t wait to see that. I bet you’ve got a pool for a tub.”

“Pfft. No way. There’s enough room for both of us to soak, though.”

“Maki-chan sure has gotten bold.”

The fun still commanded her body. Another exaggerated pizza chomp and eyebrow waggle.

“Ha, Nico’s going to have to train her Maki not to bite.”

“Mmm. mby b’p am’m”

“Huh?”

Quick chews and a swallow. Full smile sets in, “Say that again.”

A moment of confusion passed Nico’s face before it was replaced with a confident grin, “Nico’s Maki?”

“Mmm,” Maki smiled before returning to her slice.

“You are such a sap monster. Nico never would have guessed.”

The smile never left, but embarrassment still brought a repeat performance of the flip off.

“Yes, so romantic. At least you finally bought me dinner.”

“Uh huh. So, before this settles and I forgot how to keep my hands off you again, let’s talk.”

The excitement in Nico’s eyes did plenty to stir, but when she said, “You start,” Maki was just as happy to oblige.

“Sure. What with?”

“Hmm… plans for the future before Nico showed up. You mentioned being an heiress. What does that mean?”

Maki blinked, stared at the counter for a moment, blew some air at her bangs and stretched forward. Crack. Crack. Pop. Not her favorite topic, but an important one. “Right,” she began, girding herself for more first-spoken honesty and gesturing with her next slice, “First off, the heiress thing is overdramatic family-being-self-important bullshit. It’s stupid, it’s embarrassing, and I pretty much hate everything about it.”

Well that seemed to get Nico’s attention, so Maki pressed on, “Yeah, we’re a well-off family. Really well off. The extended family reaches well past Nishikino General and deep into the supply chain for no less than twelve hospital systems throughout Japan. There’s a lot of money in the medical field, and it’s the only field with assured growth. People will always need medical care and with the aging population continuing to get older, that growth will be exponential.”

Now leaning on her elbow and making lazy circles in the air with her slice, Maki continued, “The Nishikino name is tied to pharmaceuticals, high-end specialized medical equipment, basic supply stock, transportation chains, med-share networks and, obviously Nishikino General.”

Maki took a bite, sipped some soda, checked to make sure she wasn’t overloading her girlfriend and found a rapt listener, “The hospital itself is generally looked at as the PR of the family. Even though it’s the part that helps people, it brings in the least revenue and requires the most effort. It’s the oldest part of the Nishikino’s medical field influence and most of the family has only used it as a jumping board to more... lucrative pursuits.”

“You don’t like that,” Nico commented.

“Not really, but the entire family’s efforts have benefited the hospital and its patients. Because we have access to so many contracts, we’re able to keep costs low and even fully cover care on lower income families when needed.”

“That’s why Mama takes us there.”

Maki blinked, “I had no idea.”

“Keep going,” Nico urged.

“Right. Sorry. Anyway, the family’s influence reaches pretty far back. Close to the beginning of broad-reach industrial age medical care in Japan. Because of that, many of the original connections I mentioned come from old negotiation methods. Lots of marriages and joined families to cement the bond, which is part of how that network continues to grow. That still happens once in awhile. It’s how my first cousin on my mother’s side, Goichi, met his girlfriend. Everyone expects them to be married after college. It would secure another pharmaceutical tie that would make lung and liver cancer treatments a lot cheaper for the hospital.”

“No shit… “ Nico murmured into her palm, “Getting married for such a specific reason?”

“That’s not the only reason, but that’s how the family views it,” Maki expounded, brows furrowed, “They get along great and he’s gotten a lot more bearable since she’s come around and whipped him into shape. If Mama hadn’t had me, he’d be first in line to inherit the hospital. Some in the family would prefer that.”

“How come?”

Maki shrugged, “He’s male. A lot of the family is uncomfortable with the hospital being under the ownership of a woman. The name actually comes from my Mother’s side. Papa married into the family and handles a lot of the administrative side of the hospital since Mama just wanted to focus on the medical care aspect of the job. It’s helped smooth over a lot of the tension.”

“... and this is what you’re walking into?”

“Yup. I think Mama and Papa are the coolest, but they have to work twice as hard to get half the respect from the family. If Grandmother hadn’t had two daughters and no sons, things would have gone very differently. Since they’re both surgeons, they get begrudging respect and weren’t challenged on succession. Papa’s pretty certain that Goichi’ll be a problem for me in the future.”

Another bite break, another sip for her throat’s sake, “For now, I couldn’t care less. I stay aware of it all, but I’m just trying to live as much of my life as possible before med school. Music is what moves me the most… and I know the time will come when I have to put it aside for the sake of the family business. I’ll make them proud. I’ll make sure the time they put into making the hospital the warm, welcoming place that it’s become isn’t wasted. I won’t let it get ruined by that moron.”

“So yeah. At some point, Grandmother will step down as Matriarch of the family. My mother will inherit the title, making succession fall to me. The family takes this very seriously. There’ll be events, parties, ceremonies… it’s exhausting, but worth it if it means I’ll be able to help people like they have,” Maki shrugged and finished off her slice.

“Damn. Are they… do they expect that you’ll marry for something like that too?”

“... I try not to think about that.”

“Do they know? About you, that is.”

“Nope. Like I said yesterday. You’re the first person I’ve ever told…” Maki said, drifting off and leaning in to peck Nico’s cheek, “Your turn, pretty lady.”

Nico laughed, and just stared with naked affection for a moment, “Shit. How do I follow that up?”

Maki, having turned in her stool and having finished eating her fill, slid her hands up Nico’s thighs from her knees and back a few times, “The idol thing. It’s a clearly a huge deal to you. It keeps you from your amazing family because you want them to think you’re a famous one. You’ve got one of the biggest collections of anything I’ve ever seen. You’re the president of a club focused on it. Even if I hated it two days ago, which I didn’t, I’d want to know all about it now.”

Nico laughed again, “Again, Maki-chan is playing with Nico’s heart like a yo-yo.”

“Wrapped around my little finger?” Maki suggested, dragging her nails down Nico’s thighs.

“Fuck you,” Nico cracked, laughing at Maki’s bouncing eyebrows, “Who uses their little fingers for yo-yos anyway?”

Maki stuck her tongue out, bit it, and skittered her fingers back up Nico’s thighs, “You’re avoiding the question, Nico-chan~”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re distracting,” Nico complained, but tightened her bath robe’s sash and leaned onto the counter, “Not that you need to stop. Nico can multi-task if Maki-chan wants to keep putting those fingers to use.”

“Not the song I want you singing right now,” Maki deadpanned, “... soon, but not now.”

“... This is the best day ever,” Nico wistfully sighed. Maki agreed, but waited for Nico to continue, “Alright. This is a little heavy, so Nico apologizes in advance. Actually… can we go back to the couch or the bed for this?”

“Anywhere you want,” Maki said, silently hoping for the bed because snuggling.

“Back to your room? It… feels more private. Most of this I’m happy to share, but… Maki’s backstage pass gets the ugly parts too.”

“I’ll try to restrain myself,” Maki semi-promised, “but if you don’t need space, I’m not planning on giving it.”

“Nico has found being held to be unexpectedly nice,” Nico confided, sliding off her seat, “That would be acceptable.”

“Clothes?”

Nico smile incredulously, looking Maki in the eyes before making a show of scanning up and down, “Fuck ‘em.”

 

\------------------

 

“Comfortable?” Maki asked, reveling in Nico’s warmth once more. Under the covers, she practically cradled Nico’s wiry form. The older girl crooning in post-pizza-binge carb-heaven let her hands wander for a bit before Maki’s fingers found their way back in the girl’s jet-black hair and she reminded, “Who is the distracting one now? Come on. Idols.”

“Right,” Nico replied, nuzzling into Maki’s neck, “Keep playing with Nico’s hair though. It’s nice.”

“Whatever you want,” Maki reassured, “You know you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to. If this is a bad thing...”

“No, it’s alright. It’s good. This is hard for me to even think about, but if Maki-chan’s going to understand the rest, she’ll need to know how it started.”

“I’m just saying, if you need time…”

“Nope. Full speed ahead. You’re jumping into me so fully that it wouldn’t be fair not to do the same. Besides, later it’ll seem like I’m trying to convince you to dump me… so I need you to know why before you give me too much… Just… just blame the alchemy.”

Nico took a deep breath and…, “Alright… so… for a long time, I was an only child. Mama worked office jobs while auditioning for theatre work and Papa worked from home most of the time. I’m not really sure what he did. They were… really... really in love. Like, head over heels, over the moon, sappy to the max, one true destiny, fated pair, bound by the red string for all time. I’ve never seen a movie that came close to how they were.”

Nico shifted, getting more comfortable by hugging and resting her temple on Maki’s collar, “It was like magic. Things were good. Really good. They supported each other and I got to play with Papa every day. We all sang together, Mama called it vocal training… which it probably was. It was just, you know, fun to me.”

“Mama got into a few shows here and there, and when Papa saw how much I looked up to her, he started really focusing on exposing me to as many kinds of music as he could. Find out what I liked the most. See… I was a little kid and idols were starting to be a thing. The early stuff, though it does kind of come in waves. Bright colors, happy faces like Mama’s, cute outfits, energetic positive messages. I ate that shit up. I still do. When Mama saw all the drawings I made for outfits and heard me singing, she was so hype. They both were.”

Nico’s eyes were distant now. Maki watched that thin-lipped gentle smile as she continued, “I still remember the first live they took me to. I was really into Skipbeat Step at the time. They were this three-girl team that went totally to the nines with the cute. They never made it really big, but there were fireworks and lasers and huge poofy skirts with streamers and ribbons and big screens that focused on their shining faces… and, oh man they had the worst teeth, but I didn’t care. That kind of thing didn’t matter so much to people back then. They were beautiful. So... so seriously beautiful.”

Nico hugged tighter, “... and Papa, he told me that I would be just like them someday. That I shone just as bright and that he couldn’t wait to see me sing on stage. I believed him. He believed it.”

Maki continued running her fingers through Nico’s hair, unable to see her face but feeling the tears on her cheeks, “He... He ended up getting cancer. They found it a few weeks after the live and it was already pretty far along. He beat it. It took a few years but it went into remission. It took a lot out of him, too. He had to quit working...”

Nico wiped her cheeks, “He and Mama started spending a lot more time together. It was a rough couple of years, but Mama got pregnant with Cocoro and things were looking pretty good. We were back to singing again, you know? I had a beautiful baby sister, which I’d always wanted. Mama got pregnant again like, right away… and then we found out that it came back. The cancer. The doctors said he’d have trouble surviving another battle like the first, so he turned down the chemo and just… rode it out.”

“He made it long enough to see Cocoa’s first birthday… Mama was pregnant again with Cotaro and… he just couldn’t anymore. They took him to the hospital and a week later he was... just gone. Cocoro never even got to know him. Not really. Cocoa doesn’t remember him at all, and Mama wasn’t even pregnant with Cotaro until probably a month before he passed.”

Maki kept stroking as the room went quiet. It was a lot to process. After a minute, Nico continued, “Mama sat me down after it all happened. She told me she was going to need my help. She apologized so many times, but it was alright. I helped watch them, cook for them, and take care of them since she was juggling three jobs for the next few years. She’s down to two now, which is great. We get to see her a lot more now… and Cocoro does a lot of cooking now.”

“As for the idols… I never gave them up. Papa and I spent so much time following the tours, checking new groups, you know… living the life, that I kept up on it because it kept me feeling close to him. After a while though, I realized that it could be a job. That I could do it for real, make a living out of it, and Mama wouldn’t have to work so hard all the time.”

“This wasn’t too far back. School idols were starting to become a thing and it was like… damn, my moment has come! I was a first year at Otonoki, which let me tell you, was a close. I almost didn’t get in. I started the idol club, found a few cute, talented girls and tried to get a group going. They couldn’t keep up with me and bailed pretty much at the same time. I mean, I was a lot, even then… but they pretty much ran my name into the dirt on the way out. The only people who’d talk to me after that for a long time was Eli and Nozomi, so… getting a new group going just wasn’t possible.”

“Damn…”

“Yeah. It fucking sucked. They bailed after I bragged to the kids about how well things were going. I thought, “Hell, we’re cute girls and we sound great together! We’ll be superstars in no time!” They were so hype and it felt so good to have them believe in me that… I kind of just kept it rolling. It kept getting bigger and… well… now it’s hard to go home for long. Cocoro is getting older, you know. She’s gonna find out and… oh man, it’s gonna be the worst.”

Nico let out a deep breath, “I can’t even imagine how bad that’s gonna be.”

“Does it have to be?” Maki asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s an idol group right now.”

“What about them?”

Blink. Huh? “They’re looking for members.”

“They’re not very good. They kind of suck, really.”

“Well, yeah, they’re just starting,” Maki said, still stroking but now pursing her lips in confusion, “Still, isn’t this an opportunity? You know your stuff.”

“I’m the president of the idol club and not a single one of them came to me about this…”

“I… don’t think that was on purpose, Nico-chan.”

“How could it not be? They’re starting an idol group without even mentioning it to the club’s president?”

“They probably don’t even know the club exists.”

Nico slowly pulled away, rising on all fours to look Maki in the eyes properly, “What?”

“I didn’t know it existed until you told me… then again, I haven’t looked into clubs at all so that’s not really indicative of common knowledge. Either way, they’ve been scrambling to try and put this group together. They’ve been receptive of advice. If they knew you were around, I could guarantee they’d have approached you by now.”

Skeptical eyebrows, “You guarantee it? How?”

Maki snorted, “Pfft. Because Kousaka-senpai isn’t socially conscious enough to feel shame. She chased me for days before I gave her the chance… and I can be pretty mean when I want.”

“... I kind of doubt that. Still… huh,” Nico said, clearly going through some sort of mental gymnastics.

“Even if you don’t want to join them, they could definitely benefit from your experience. They’re doing it to save the school apparently.”

“... How?”

“School idols are popular, Otonoki is close to closing because it lacks popularity. If Otonokizaka gains a popular idol group, then attendance may surge, saving the school. That’s the reasoning they gave me.”

“That’s… that’s why they…”

Nico pulled back, sitting up to straddle Maki. She was staring at nothing for a bit, and Maki was satisfied to watch. The view was pretty spectacular after all, and the talk of the new idol group seemed to have pulled Nico from the sadness she’d been gripped by earlier. This also gave Maki time to further process just how much her girlfriend had already gone through. The idea of losing either of her parents… was simply inconceivable. She didn’t even have as deeply personal a parental relationship as Nico seemed to have had with her father. There was… just no way to properly sympathize. No accurate way to process or relate to that kind of trauma.

The gap between them in life experience seemed ever more vast. Nico seemed more impressive the more Maki learned… and the more undeserving she felt of her attention. Spoiled rich girl, indeed. How could she hope to ease Nico’s burdens, be there for this incredible person even a tenth as much as she’d already been there for her?

Maki slid her hands up Nico’s arms, to her shoulders, and pulled her half way, meeting at the lips. When she pulled away Nico looked coherent again so she said, “I’ll introduce you. Alright?”

Distantly, Nico replied, “What makes you think I want to join their group?”

“I want you to join,” Maki replied, her voice insistent. Firm. “I write their music. Music is the foundation of a song. People remember the vocalists and the lyrics, but the music gives those vocals power... It supports them.”

Maki gripped Nico’s arms tighter until Nico focused back on her, excitement building in her voice as she went, “I want to write the music that supports your singing. I want you to sing to my music. If this really is magic bringing us together, then this is why. If this is fate, then this is why I’ve held onto my music despite knowing it’ll be taken away someday. This is why I’m at Otonokizaka.”

Wide red eyes fed Maki’s frenzied, passionate voice, “I’m here… because of you.”

Nico crashed forward, pinning Maki to the bed, her eyes wild.

Maki didn’t stop, “They’ll see what I see in a second. They’ll know how amazing you are...”

“Shut up,” Nico whispered, clawing into Maki’s shoulders.

The excitement carried through in Maki’s eyes, bubbling from her chest, “I’m going to MAKE you shine!”

Nico’s lips slammed into Maki’s, their legs interlocking and their fingers clawing through each other’s hair as the moment overtook her.

 

\------------------

 

“Oh my god… I am so sore...” Nico groaned, laying sprawled on her back at the foot of the bed, “I think this is it. I’m dying.”

“Heh heh… heh…” Maki replied with a lazy grin, her head still spinning as she lay, also sprawled, across the bed’s center, her leg draped over Nico.

“Nico will never move again.”

“I will always remember you.”

“Damn straight you will,” Nico groaned, “That was…”

“Wow,” Maki finished, “This is officially the best day of my life.”

“Your welcome,” Nico managed.

“... We really should get that bath in. It’s getting late.”

“Never. Moving. Again.”

Certain that her legs had stopped shaking, Maki sat up, scooted, and slid to the floor. It took a moment to regain her balance, but once she was sure she was steady she walked to Nico’s side and scooped her up in her arms. Nico tried flailing, but just didn’t have the energy so instead she settled for staring.

“You’re pretty strong,” Nico commented as they started down the stairs.

“You’re like, twelve kilos soaking wet.”

“Was that a crack about how I…”

“Yes, it was,” Maki said, her voice deadpan but her mouth smiling.

She closed her eyes and nestled closer, further melting Maki’s heart. A keen feat since it had long since evaporated and was floating around the couple. Night had long set in, but her parents were likely only half way through their day. For the first time in ages she felt grateful for that fact. As they approached the door, Maki asked, “Shower or scrub and soak?”

“Moving. Not doing it,” Nico repeated.

“Right. I got you.”

“Mmm… you do…”

In addition to all the modern amenities the Nishikino household had, its bathroom came equipped with a few redundant features. Multiple sinks, a large bathtub/shower combo, a standing shower, and a soaking furo. Maki lowered Nico to sit on the edge of the bathtub and set the water running to reach appropriate heat. In a heartwarming show of trust, the smaller girl was letting her full weight sink into Maki’s arms as she tested with her ankle.

“Jeez. Rich girl bathroom,” Nico teased weakly before Maki scooped her back up and laid her in the hotter than tepid water slowly filling the basin.

“Oh… I forgot about the makeup…”

“Jus’ scrub it off. S’cool.”

“... you want me to scrub you down.”

“Not… Moving…”

Maki shrugged, stepping away to the sink and pulled the bottle of remover, taking the time before returning to Nico’s side to handle her own. Grab a couple of washcloths, some towels, slide the stool over and smirk at Nico fulfilling her immobility pledge.

“Hehehe… Tanuki Maki returns.”

Maki’s smirk deepened. She flipped her off again and readied a washcloth with remover, gently scrubbing down Nico’s face. The older girl closed her eyes, smiled and commented, “See? Maki-chan can be gentle when she wants to.”

“You’re in my care now,” Maki explained, “I’ll give you some special service today.”

“You haven’t already?”

“I’ll kick your ass later. Now shut up and let me pamper you.”

Nico laughed and obediently turned her head when Maki prompted her.

“I’m not going to get to do this anywhere near as often as I’d like,” Maki admitted, “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do study-wise… My parents are going to be returning to a less nocturnal shift soon too.”

“Aww… so we’re going to have to sneak around and make out in parks like dumb teenagers?”

“Mmm,” Maki nodded, “I should have spent today at cram classes and the rest of the night studying. Not… grinding the hours away with my girlfriend.”

“Pfft. Phrasing.”

“Intentional,” Maki replied, finishing the makeup removal and flicking her ear, “I thought today was bad… after all this? The next couple days are going to be brutal.”

“Aww, did Maki-chan think about Nico all day long?”

Maki soaped up a loofah, “Well. Yeah. Of course I did. You’re gorgeous and I figured we’d… well… do what we’ve been doing. I didn’t expect as much or for it to be so... ”

“Intense? Amazing?” Nico offered.

“Yeah. Those work,” Maki agreed, pulling Nico’s arm up and scrubbing, “Did you?”

“Fuck no. Dating isn’t for idols, let alone hours and hours of sex. I figured there’d be no way I’d hook up with anyone… for a ton of reasons. Shit. No wonder some idols slip up and get caught.”

Maki frowned as she stepped into the tub, straddling Nico’s lap and starting in on the other arm, “When you sign up for μ's, we still get to do this, right?”

“Maki-chan is very confident about that, isn’t she? We’ll have to keep this on the down-low. Super down-low. Very sneaky… but yeah. No way I’m giving you up now.”

“I’m surprised no one has pursued you yet…”

“You really are, aren’t you? You don’t see any reason why someone wouldn’t hook up with Nico?”

“Aside of you being a little shit here and there, nope,” Maki jibed, scrubbing along Nico’s shoulders and collar, “All the more for me, I guess.”

Nico sighed contentedly and let Maki work her over. There were a few points where Maki couldn’t help but laugh at Nico’s squirming, but she had nearly wrapped up the overly thorough scrub-down when Nico commented, “You seem pretty comfortable with this.”

“Hospice care. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. Just the first time I’ve enjoyed it. It’s not usually like this at all.”

“Oh. Wow. Right,” Nico said, surprise apparent, “Old people?”

“My grandmother,” Maki replied, idly thinking on just how easily the admission came when it was a topic she didn’t want to get remotely close to earlier.

“Matriarch Grandma?”

“Yup,” Maki said, taking care not to be too gentle at Nico’s feet to avoid unexpected kicking, “She comes in once week for dialysis and I go home with her to make sure the live-in nurse is handling things well enough. I give her the rest of the night off and take care of her myself.”

“Part of training?”

“Kind of. To be honest, I volunteered.”

“Seriously?”

“We used to be pretty close. She’s the one who gave me the piano, got me lessons, and introduced me to music in general. I owe her a lot,” Maki said, sliding Nico forward to sit behind her and scrub her back, “She hasn’t been doing so well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Nico replied.

“It’s to be expected. She had Mama pretty late in life. She’s getting old. Grandfather passed some time ago, so keeping tabs on the family is all she’s had to keep her mind occupied. We noticed her condition pretty late, so now it’s mostly… outgoing care.”

“Outgoing?”

Maki slid Nico back to rest on the tub, re-soaped, and started scrubbing herself down. She tried not to smirk at Nico’s increased attention, but failed. Instead, she made a bit of a show out of it because it was a good distraction, “Yeah. It’s alright though. She’s always happy to see me. She almost never has any episodes when I’m around and it’s done a lot to soften the family up on my standing in succession.”

“... I know it’s not the time, but fuck you’re hot.”

Maki splashed her girlfriend, happy that the tactic worked so well, “You’re right it’s not. I’ll forgive you this time. Aren’t you even going to rinse yourself off?”

“Nope. I’m not distracting myself from this view. No way.”

“Right.”

“Especially if it’s not going to be an everyday thing. Nico’s heart breaks.”

“Uh huh.”

“How long do we have until your parents get home, again?”

“Six hours?”

“Holy shit… I’m going to die for real.”

“Probably. I’m not letting a moment of this go to waste.”

“Maki-chan… you’ve got to sleep sometime.”

“I can sleep when I’m dead. I’ve got a girlfriend now that needs my attention.”

“Okay, I have to sleep sometime.”

“Are you sure about that?” Maki said, striking a sultry pose.

“... Fuck.”

“That’s right,” Maki confirmed, wrapping up her own scrubbing and going for the shampoo, “You have a girlfriend that needs your attention.”

“So needy.”

“I’m not the one clinging like the-”

“You win. Nico surrenders.”

“That’s right,” Maki repeated leaning back into the water stream to prep her hair and intentionally giving Nico an arch to appreciate, “So, do you want me to do your hair too?”

“Please?”

Maki rose back up smiling. She pulled the removable showerhead down and settled behind her still limp partner, “I love your hair… it’s so obedient.”

“You mean flat.”

“Yeah… it’s so easy to run my fingers through. I thought it’d tangle with how much there is, but… it’s like silk.”

“Mmmm… yessss… You know, earlier today I was totally freaking out. Worried that you thought I was some kind of… awful molester that took advantage of you while you were out of it.”

“I guess I can understand that…”

“Back then, I had no idea how fucking thirsty for Nico you were,” Nico teased and laughed when she was rewarded with dual ear flicks and a shove on the back of her head.

“Seriously though… Nico believes in magic now,” she confided, “Nozomi has been trying to convince me for years… but this did it. Magic is real and you’re made of it.”

“... Shut up…” Maki whined as her heart pinged and her eyes watered at the unexpected sentiment, “You can’t say stuff like that right after saying I’m “fucking thirsty.”

“Like hell I can’t. You… you’re pure. You’re this good person that isn’t wrapped up in lies. You came out of nowhere and now you’re trying to fix every problem I’ve ever had just because I couldn’t control myself for one night… and you have me believing you can. Tell me that’s not magic.”

Maki brushed Nico’s neck clear so she could press in a kiss, “I’ve been thinking the same about you, you know. Not just… you know…”

“That I’m dead sexy,” Nico offered.

“Tch… Yeah… but… the way these past few weeks have gone,” Maki began, “See, I came to this school figuring I’d struggle to get the last bit of time that I could with music and maybe, just maybe, get a girlfriend at some point that would ditch me the instant they realized how much trouble I come with.”

“What trouble?”

“The family thing. Pretty much everyone runs away when they hear it. Besides, “Heiress” means children someday… and they’re not talking adoption. They’re pretty old fashioned and I… know that someday they’ll want me to. I know it’s long-term stuff, but… that’s what I think about.”

“I was wondering about that…You’re like… a super lesbian.”

“Yeah. There’s a few methods currently in testing for two women to have children without a male donor, but… there’s still a lot of work to be done before they’re perfected and even longer to ensure there’s no risk of mitochondrial disease…”

“Fortunately, you’d be inheriting a hospital~”

“As long as the family doesn’t find out about any of this in advance… yeah. That’s… kind of my long-term plan. Well... as long as Papa doesn’t try to rush things to prevent Goichi’s family from pushing him into my place… but this is way too soon to be bothering you with stuff like that.”

“Yeah, you haven’t even taken me out on a date yet,” Nico jabbed, “You can’t talk about putting a baby in Nico already. Totally bad taste. Gross.”

Maki blinked, “Huh. Hadn’t even thought of that…”

“Oh, so Nico would be the baby daddy then?” Nico scoffed, “erm… second… mama?”

Maki started scrubbing Nico’s hair almost viciously, “Not. Going. There. Right. Now. Let a girl graduate high school first. Jeez. But yeah. You. Magic. Real.”

“Wait till you hear Nico sing~”

“I’ve a pretty strong grasp of your vocal capacities by now, Nico-chan. You’re like… special pain-in-the-ass magic.”

“But Nico didn’t even go for Mak-bbblblbblb!” Nico began, but was cut off when Maki sprayed her straight in the face.

“I take it back. There’s no way magic is as crass as you.”

“Haha!”

“Want to soak?”

“If Maki-chan can carry Nico~”

“Seriously? On the tile? We’re both wet.”

“Maybe you are.”

“... CRASS. Ugh!”

“I do want to though… it sounds really nice.”

“... Alright. Hold on.”

Maki rinsed the suds from their hair, shut off the water and very carefully lugged a very smug looking Nico to the huge steaming tub. After a moment assessing, she stepped over the lip and stepped down from the underwater seat. Once the water’s buoyancy took care of Nico’s exceedingly limited weight, she considered dunking the girl just to wipe her smile away… but the thought made her sad, so she cradled her closer instead.

“Wow, this is huge… and really really warm. Damn. Do you use this often?” Nico asked snuggling into Maki despite the heat.

“Not really. It takes too long and there’s usually too much to do,” Maki replied, “This is pretty nice though… aren’t you going to overheat clinging to me in this?”

“When you’re this hot already, what’s a little more?”

Maki grimaced, waited for Nico to laugh, and swept in for a kiss which was almost immediately eagerly reciprocated. Moments passed before Maki could slip in, “I can tell I’m going to need to keep your mouth busy…”

“You promise?”

The tub got a lot hotter from there.

 

\------------------

 

After returning to the bedroom, Maki was grateful for the time away. The room was rife with the scent of their earlier… rough housing. Nico had laughed hysterically as they returned (still insisting on being carried, which was satisfying a surprisingly primal urge), but Maki had scrambled to go find air fresheners and fresh bed covers.

“You better not put those on that bed until we’re actually going to sleep, Maki-chan.”

“Oh yeah? You think you still have the energy to go on?”

“Why do you think I’ve got you carrying me around?”

“You’re a lazy slack-ass?”

“HA! Yes. Also, my legs still hate me.”

“Huh? Are you alright?” Maki asked, genuine concern pushing aside her snark.

“Aww, Maki-chan~ Yeah, I’m fine. This is just a lot more exercise than I thought. This is worse than crunches, but I just don’t wanna quit.”

Nico may have said that, but she immediately fell backwards and sprawled out, undoing the sash on her bathrobe but leaving it closed. She fanned herself for a few seconds before giving up and just smiling at the canopy.

“I still can’t believe this is all happening.”

Maki sat carefully beside the wispy whimsically smiling girl and replied, “Is there anything else you’d like to do before I let you pass out? You look like you’re at your limit.”

“Kisses. Lots of kisses. Here, here, and here. Wherever else too. Nico wants to jump you but I’m wiped out… tapped… out of juice… kaput.”

“Pfft. You want me to “finish you off”?”

“Yes. Exactly. Knock me the fuck out, babe. If I’m gonna have to wake up in the morning and not have that night with you, I want you to give me something to think about… well… more to think about. Hell, if you want to keep going all night, you’re the one with all the insomnia powers.”

“Babe?”

“Nico is still working out what pet name to give Maki-chan.”

Maki made a show of cracking her fingers, “Are you sure this is what you want? We DID just take a bath…”

“Nico is tired. Nico is spent. Spoil Nico.”

Maki rolled her shoulders, cracking and popping and then shrugging, “Right then. Just so you know… I’m going to enjoy this…”

“Magical Maki-chan~ I’ll have to save the singing for next time…”

“Save it for the audition… you’re going to need your breath when I get you alone again…”

“Promises, promises,” Nico teased.

“Shhh… in case I lose you part way through, sweet dreams Nico-chan.”

“Sweet dreams, Maki-chan… I hope you get some sleep tonight…”

“I’ve got a pretty good feeling about that,” Maki confided as she lowered her lips to Nico’s collar.

“Me too... “

 

\------------------

A/N: Ain't the honeymoon phase grand?

 

Personal A/N: This one took a while. Caught the sick, hard, and had to wrestle through about a dozen passes before giving in and letting the girls do what they wanted. This kind of felt like three chapters in one, but I REALLY wanted to get past "the day after." Seriously. This story goes well past Maki's high school graduation. I've got content planned for each freaking year. There's so much that's going to happen... it makes it hard to say no to them enjoying this knowing what's coming.  
  
Oh, also, there won't be any explicit content until both of the girls are 18. Suggestion is fine, but we're not being skeevy here.


	9. The Eagle and the Finch

For all the happy endorphins banishing her tension, Maki just couldn’t sleep. Nico was right there. Sawing logs. The most undignified sprawling, wide-open-mouthed-and-raucously-snoring Nico imaginable, wearing too-large silk pajamas and already having kicked off half of her covers.

She couldn’t be any more perfect.

Just laying there, watching her sleep was as healing as a week’s worth of quality rest. Thinking back to how the last hour of Nico’s night went, Maki opting to put her limited massage therapy skills to work while complimenting and praising every feature she fancied on her delicately framed girlfriend, felt like a far more romantic way to wrap up the evening. There was so much satisfaction in knowing that Nico was probably enjoying the best sleep she’d had in years, all because of her.

So Maki watched, peering over her second pillow that she hugged as she lay on her side. Bubbles and butterflies floating in her chest. Marveling over how Nico disarmed her embarrassment by applying laser-accuracy egotistical snark, crude comebacks, and clearly feigned superiority. No amount of Maki’s embarrassment could stand in the face of her instinctual indignation.

Kissing was wonderful. Making love was still unfathomable... unquantifiable. Having someone to rough-house with physically and verbally without worrying you were offending them? That was something completely different. Some of the things Nico had called her as she ground the knots in her back ground into submission were downright sacrilegious. She’d whined, she’d flailed, and she groaned with abandon once the pain gave way to heated relaxed pleasure. She cursed her family name, swore a blood feud, and then begged for more.

Nico was… astounding. Proud. Just as magnificent as she boasted, despite not genuinely believing her own hype. She was invincible and delicate, mature and adorable. She was more than Maki could have ever asked for and more.

And Nico was crazy about her.

That was the real miracle.

Maki knew, without any lingering doubt, that the feelings she had done her best to be cautious with were reflected back with ferocity. She had been smiling for so long now that her cheeks ached. She… she just couldn’t stop.

She had more than a lover. She had a real, honest to god, friend. A friend with benefits? A girlfriend? None of it felt sufficient to describe this breakneck paced bond that was forming. 

After the fifth time she caught herself reaching out to brush hair from Nico’s face, or caress her eyebrows, or trace her jawline, Maki imposed a bit of exile on herself… but not before snapping no less than a dozen shots of her gracelessly comfortable “best girl” to fawn over later on her phone. She slipped out of the room as silently as possible, knowing there was a bit of cleanup left to manage before her parents got home.

Nico’s clothes were pulled from the dryer and folded. It had been years since Maki insisted on learning from Waki, so seeing that the results weren’t disastrous was a relief. The few leftover slices of pizza were plated, wrapped, and left in the fridge. The towels were dropped off in the hamper, and a thorough sniff-test of the entire downstairs was undertaken. Special emphasis was given to the sitting room sofa, the base of the stairs, the kitchen counter, the living room coffee table and the floor beside it, and the bathroom. No matter the gender of the partner involved, there was no way she was ready to broach that topic with her parents.

Satisfied with the results, Maki settled into the wide, warm living room recliner that had a clear view of the entryway. She curled into the seat, laying her head on the armrest and pulled her phone up to fawn over the marvel snoozing upstairs. She was still smiling. Her entire body was still saturated with the heat and comfort of all the fun and affection that she’d shared with this girl. Her girl. Her Nico. 

There was a seductive thrill at even thinking the words, but the warmth was too deep-seeded, to soothing to feel anything but slow and comfortable. She held the phone to her chest and sighed in ultimate contentment. The flannel pajamas, which she almost never wore, were so good at retaining heat. It was almost like laying next to her affectionate furnace of a girlfriend. Her eyes were heavy… and within moments of her re-locking her phone on habit, she drifted off into that warmth.

She remained until consciousness slowly ebbed back at the feeling of her hair being brushed behind her ear by a familiar hand.

“... eetie?”

The smell of a perfume she’d come to acknowledge as the scent of maturity and grace, overlaying the comfortable and familiar tang of antiseptic soaps and antibacterial rinses. She curled inwards, smiling at the sensation and the sounds of their voices.

“Come on, sweetie. You should be in bed…” deep and smooth, light and affectionate. 

“I could carry her… but she looks so comfortable. I’d hate to wake her,” rumbling and masculine, the only voice of its kind that made her feel so safe.

“She did say she had company over for the night. She was probably making sure she didn’t keep them up,” she heard her mother suggest, still teasing her hair. Her voice was close… she was probably kneeling in front of the chair.

“I still can’t get over how much she takes after you. You’re both just so beautiful…”

“Look at you, getting all sappy so late,” her mother teased. If Maki hadn’t already been on the ninth cloud of contentment, this rare “view” of her father’s sentimentality would have knocked her for a loop. As it was, it was hard to continue feigning unconsciousness.

“... Naddie… Look at her eyes. When did they get that bad?”

More fingers brushing her hair, “Years ago, Honey. I told you. It’s been a real problem.”

“How did I not see this before? That has to be recent.”

“Makeup, dear. Women use makeup. I know this is a foreign concept to you…”

“Ha ha. I know what makeup is… still…”

Despite loving the rare candid conversation, her mother’s hands had settled and Maki had gotten spoiled. She nuzzled into her palm and gave her warmest smile, “Welcome home Mama… Papa…”

“Hello there, my little Maki. What are you doing down here so late?” her mother asked, leaning in to touch foreheads with her.

Maki nuzzled forward again, delighting her mother with the unabashed affection. Nico really had spoiled her, “I was having trouble falling asleep and didn’t want to keep Nico-chan up… that, and I wanted to see you both.”

“I’m glad to see you’re making friends,” her father replied, kneeling beside her mother and hiding a yawn behind his palm, “Did you have a good night?”

More unimpeded honesty, “The best I can remember. This caps it off perfectly.”

Her mother nudged her father happily, “I hope your friend didn’t mind it being just the two of you.”

“We had a good time. I may have bragged about you two a bit too much though,” Maki teased with a wink.

Her father looked uncomfortably happy, unable to meet her eyes and stammering, “I’m… I’m glad it… that it went so well.”

“I’ll have to make sure I’m up early enough to see the two of you off in the morning,” her mother promised, sliding her hand from Maki’s cheek back up to her hair to ruffle it some more, “but for now, Mama needs some sleep. You should get to bed as well.”

“Mmm. Okay,” Maki acquiesced, uncoiling from the cushion and stumbling to her feet as her parents made room. She leaned to each, having to tip-toe for her father, pressing kisses to their cheeks and saying, “Thank you both for working so hard. I’ll do my best to make you proud.” 

“I know you will,” her father replied.

“You already have,” her mother assured.

Maki bid the two goodnight once more and relied on the rail to support her climb. She really would likely be able to sleep again. The thought was relieving and her heart just felt so full. She slipped back into her room, the soft glow of the full moon’s light shining down on her fairy tale princess. Nico had turned from her sprawl and was full-body glommed onto the pillow Maki had previously wrapped herself around. Despite laying on her side, the angle caused her to fill an inordinate amount of the top half of the bed.

What an adorable disaster. Maki couldn’t help but stare in pure adoration at how cute the scene was. Seeing her open her eyes came as a shock, but a welcome one.

“Mmm… come to bed, Maki-chan.”

“Is there any bed left for me to get into?”

“Spoiled rich girl. Get in here and hold me. Spoon your Nico.”

“Who is being the spoiled one here?” Maki jabbed, all smiles as she rounded the bed to comply.

“Nico,” she replied, “Because Nico deserves it. Just don’t get all handsy again. Nico needs her beauty sleep. Not everyone can rock the racoon look like Maki-chan.”

Maki slid in behind, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl’s waist and breathing deep at her hair, “Yeah yeah. Shut up and get back to sleep. You were so cute that I forgot what an ass you are.”

“I think you meant what an ass I have~” Nico teased.

“I’ll kick that ass if you don’t get back to sleep,” Maki promised as a whisper, nuzzling in tight and hugging her close.

“‘Dat’ ass. You meant to say ‘dat’ ass… Oooo, you’re so warm…” Nico sighed contentedly.

“Mm… n’you smell good,” Maki countered, “... better than the strawberries.”

“You’re smelling me now? Weirdo.” Nico teased again, her voice barely perceptible as she seemed to drift back to slumber.

“Mm…”

 

\------------------

 

Alarms are usually so cruel. This morning was no exception, but at the same time Maki just couldn’t be mad. Waking up with an armful of Nico was worth it. Downright hilarious when said alarm made that armful flail and gasp and thrash in surprise.

“What the hell!?” Nico gasped, “What the freaking hell!? What was that!?”

“... my alarm?” Maki replied calmly, wagging her phone at the panicked girl before snapping another picture for later.

“That’s a fog horn! An ambulance! A Godzilla warning siren!”

Maki shrugged and leaned in closer, Nico having jumped all the way to the foot of the bed in her scramble to identify the source of the world-ending sound, “It did the job, right?”

“... Yeah. Pretty sure it shaved three years off my life, but yes. Nico is awake.”

“Did Nico sleep well?”

“... I don’t know. I can’t tell if I’m well rested or riding the adrenaline from that brush with death.”

Maki tossed a pillow at her flailing girlfriend, “So you’re good for breakfast?”

“... Leftover pizza?”

“And coffee!” Maki amended, making jazz hands before waving dismissively, “... or juice for the weak.”

“Wouldn’t relying on coffee make you the weak one?” Nico deadpanned.

“The only thing that makes me weak is you.”

“Pfft. In the knees?”

Maki pantomimed fainting back onto the bed, a hand on her heart and the other to her head, “I’m not sure I can face the day. I should call in sick. I’m probably contagious. We should quarantine ourselves.”

Nico crawled closer, all grins, “For the good of the school.”

“It’s only the right thing to do. We’ll bear this burden alone.”

“You are such a fucking nerd.”

Maki double-flipped off Nico in retaliation, “Shut up and kiss me.”

Nico complied, a light peck that Maki capitalized on by wrapping her arms around her shoulders and pulling in for a long, slow, deeply affectionate smooch, punctuated with a, “Mwa~”

Nico pulled away, wiped her mouth and laughed, “I don’t know what you did last night, but I feel amazing.”

“You spent the evening with me. That’s enough, right?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, rich girl.

Maki blinked widely, trying to look innocent, “Huh? But… I feel amazing too… what’s something that we both did?”

“Each other?” Nico offered, rising on her knees and thrusting her hips.

“Tch. Crude. You ruined it,” Maki griped, “I brought your clothes up last night after you passed out… like the lightweight you are… Mama might be downstairs. She said she wanted to meet my new friend.”

“Just to be sure, that’s what we’re advertising, right. Just friends.”

Finger in hair, Maki affirmed, “You can throw a ‘Best’ in, if you’re feeling it. I know you like to brag.”

“It’s not bragging if it’s the real deal, baby.”

Incredulous, “Baby?”

Apologetic, “Still working on a pet name… Maki-chan is tough.”

“... it’s going to be a few days before I’m going to get to see you like this again,” Maki said, sliding off the bed to find her uniform, realizing the fact as she spoke and pouting a bit, “When’s the next time you’d have open? You got my schedule, right?”

“Got it. Memorized it. Working on planning around it. Aww, is Maki-chan going to miss her Nico~?”

Deadpan glare, “It ruins the effect if you claim I’m desperate after saying you’ve memorized my schedule. Who is the desperate one here?”

“... Both of us?” Nico admitted and asked.

“... Yeah,” Maki confirmed.

“... So I get to meet Maki’s Mama? How excited should Nico be?”

“She’s nice. Just… she’s classy like I was supposed to be. She’s the real deal, so…”

“Best behavior. Got it. Nico will be charming so when Maki-chan pops the question her Mama won’t be too mad if Nico has to turn her down.”

“Pfft. Please,” Maki breezily denied and then challenged, “I’ll have you on bended knee way before I get there.”

“Maki-chan was on her knees about this time yesterday morning~” Nico teased with abundant eyebrow waggles.

“Oh my god, Crude!” Maki griped, full-arm throwing Nico’s skirt directly into her face. Nico just laughed and fell backwards, hands taking on her trademark pose.

“You wanted Nico? You’re gettin’ Nico, Cutie~”

Her face now thoroughly flushed, Maki buttoned her shirt in a way that she hoped came off as savage, “God, you’re as bad as a boy.”

“Nico can be your boyfriend too. Nico is flexible~” Nico teased, arching her back, making a bridge and sliding her skirt up. She looked ridiculously pleased with herself at Maki’s inability to look away.

“You are kind of a dick sometimes,” Maki growled, looking away and ruining the effect with her smile.

“Maki-chan’s got to stop. Her mother’s going to think Nico’s a bad person, bringing out such language…”

Maki draped her blazer over her shoulders and carried the rest of Nico’s clothes to her, dropping them to her side and then leaning on top of them with her forearms. She locked eyes with with her cheekily grinning senior and said, “You bring a lot out in me… more than I expected… more than I bargained for…”

The cheeky smile softened, “Is Maki-chan getting sentimental?”

She leaned closer, close enough that the movement of her lips brushed Nico’s, their eyes locked together, “So… very… sentimental…” before closing the distance completely. Softly, slowly, with hands on cheeks and breaks only to brush noses.

Maki pulled away and Nico held her back. Her slight frame shuddering as her eyes came back to focus and her breath caught up, “You… you are… you should be careful... Don’t make Nico fall in love with you so quickly...”

“Don’t say things like that… after already pulling me along this far,” Maki replied, gentle steel and a kiss on the cheek, “Fairy tale princesses like yourself should be aiming for happily ever afters… I want this to last.”

Nico’s hold on her loosened and her eyes seemed too shiny to not be crying, “Sentimental Maki is too strong… Nico isn’t going to let you go.”

Maki leaned in again, just as slow, just as soft. Her heart was adrift and the world was holding her close. The dream was still trying to prove itself real. She pulled away again, this time with actual distance, “You should get dressed. This day is going to be amazing.”

Nico sighed, “I guess it can’t be helped…” and got to her feet, donning her uniform with expert dexterity and finishing her bow before Maki could even start on her own. She just couldn’t get the skirt zipper past the snag with her attention so occupied. She twirled the mostly pre-done first year bow on one finger as she approached, “Amazing? Compared to yesterday? That was a nice start but… oh, here. Let me.”

Nico undid the someone disheveled blue mass and looped it around Maki’s neck, deftly tugging, tucking and twirling it into its proper poofy state. Maki raised her chin and held her hair aloft appreciatively, “Yeah, instead of worrying all day about making an ass of myself, I get to daydream about what a trainwreck you are.”

Nico’s eyes practically sparkled, “You were worried, too? This really did go well, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’d say this was a successful experiment… additional trials may be necessary for the sake of quality assurance.”

“Pft, there hasn’t been a quality rating that goes high enough to describe Yazawa Nico.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re not that bad,” Maki jabbed and Nico laughed.

“You are such a shit. A classy, beautiful, stubborn little shit,” Nico replied, punctuating with extra sharp tugs on the finishing touches of her bow before pulling her close by her shirt, “... and you’re all mine. Nico stakes claim. I’m definitely keeping you from here on out.”

Maki leaned in for another kiss, feeling incredibly moved once more, but Nico pulled away and patted her head, “Let’s meet Maki’s Mama. Cold pizza is a delicacy and you worked Nico hard yesterday.”

Maki pouted, but nodded, “One more to get me through the day?”

Nico squirmed, looking incredulously happy but trying to play it cool. Was that an active effort or was she really failing to hide it? Maki didn’t wonder long because the smaller girl had leapt into her arms, flurried kisses all over her face, and let Maki dip her backwards for a long, final kiss for the road.

“You good now?” Nico asked breathlessly.

“That should do,” Maki confirmed.

“Maybe one more?” Nico asked coyly.

“I’m good, thanks,” Maki replied with a grin, widening her eyes as she let Nico drop backwards onto the bed.

Nico laughed so hard, “You little!”

 

\------------------

 

The two held hands as they descended the stairs, fully decked out in their Otonoki regalia with makeup reapplied. The scent that greeted the two almost stopped Maki in her tracks, “No way…”

“Wow. That smells amazing, what is that?”

Maki took off, nearly dragging Nico along until they approached the kitchen where their hands parted, “Morning Mama!”

“There’s my girl,” Nadeshiko Nishikino beamed, taking in the sight of the two, “You’re looking very energetic this morning. It’s a bit belated, but welcome to our home. I’m Maki’s mother, and as an apology for leaving you two with delivery, I’ve whipped up some bananas foster french toast for you this morning.”

Maki simply stared, looking stunned at the display. The counter was already done up for the three of them and the small portable burner stovetop was sizzling away at what looked like a third batch. Nico took the lead with a smile and a small bow, “My name is Yazawa Nico, thank you for welcoming me to your home. I can see where Maki-chan gets her good looks from.”

Maki blushed, seeming to marvel Nico with the legitimate bashfulness she felt about the comparison, “This looks amazing, Mama. You didn’t have to do all this.”

“I know. It’s not like I’m bribing your friend into coming back soon, but I do feel bad for leaving the two of you with just ordering in,” the older woman waved off, “Besides, I haven’t made this in years. I thought it sounded fun! Get over here. Eat!”

“Yes, ma’am~” Nico obliged enthusiastically, plopping into the seat closest to the older Nishikino, “Bribe accepted.”

Nadeshiko laughed as she dropped a few pieces on Nico’s plate and fired up the topping, literally. Once the blue flame subsided, she poured liberally as Maki took her seat, “Don’t wait for us. Dig in, I know you both have a long walk ahead of you.”

“Thanks, Mama…” Maki managed as she accepted a plate of her own, “How are you feeling? You couldn’t have gotten even two hours in.”

“There’s a reason you handle your sleep as well as you do, honey. That said, as soon as you two are out the door, it’s back to bed for Mama. Sorry that my husband isn’t also here to meet you, but he’s had quite a few more consecutive shifts than he’s used to.”

“Not at all, I’m glad he’s sleeping,” Nico said between taste bud obliteratingly good bites, “This is so nice of you… and this tastes amazing.”

“It used to be my little Maki’s favorite,” Nadeshiko cooed, trying to tease a currently too-full-of-foodie-bliss-to-care Maki and plating herself a stack, “Sadly, we’ve all been too busy to spend many meals together lately.”

The vision of grace that was Nadeshiko took her seat across from the two girls, smiling grandly as she cut into her breakfast, “I was so happy to hear she’d brought you over. You’re the first of her school friends I believe we’ve ever seen.”

“We only recently met, but that surprises me. From what I’ve seen, I’d imagine everyone would want to be Maki-chan’s friend,” Nico praised and took a drink of milk.

Content to watch and amazed at the easy interplay between the two and Nico’s apparent comfort with the situation, Maki could only eat and smile as her mother replied, “I always just assumed my little girl was shy. Say… that ribbon. It’s a different color. Does that mean your a second year?”

“Third, actually,” Nico replied without missing a beat, “It was hard to believe that Maki-chan was only a first year. She’s very mature for her age.”

“She’s always been like that,” Nadeshiko praised after finishing a bite, “How did the two of you meet?”

Again, without pause, Nico elaborated, “I went to a concert at school recently and found out that Maki-chan composed the music for it. It was so professionally done that I couldn’t believe it, so I had to check it out for myself. Sure enough, she’s the real deal.”

Maki’s respect for her partner found new depths as the conversation continued, her mother pulling her from her appreciation by asking, “Oh? Is this that ‘Start Dash’ song you showed me the other day? You didn’t mention that you’d finished a full composition.”

“I have a file I’ll mail to your phone,” Maki promised, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to share the version with the group’s vocals. They’re very impressive.”

“Are these more friends of yours?”

“Possibly,” Maki alluded, “I’m hoping that it becomes something like that.”

Nadeshiko took a deep breath and sighed, “I knew Otonokizaka would be good for you… would you like seconds, dear?”

“Yes, please~” Nico replied in a sing-song voice.

“Here, you take another round too, honey. You don’t eat enough.”

“You’re not wrong,” Nico chipped in, “She barely touched the pizza last night. I don’t know where all her energy comes from… but it makes her proportions make sense.”

“Nico…” Maki whined.

“She’s right dear, if it wasn’t for genetics you’d be skin and bones.”

“Hee hee~ Maki-chan’s Mama sided with me~”

“So what would you say your aspirations are then, Nico-chan?” Nadeshiko asked, finished with her plate and smiling broadly.

“I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in music or the performing arts,” Nico replied easily, “I’ve been around the business for most of my life and it’s kind of been my family’s passion.”

“Oh, I bet you have all kinds of future prospects. You’re very cute.”

“I have Mama to thank for that,” Nico demurred, “It was my focus in the arts as a profession that led me to seek out Maki-chan. Honestly, I never would have guessed she was a first year. She explained a little about her future yesterday. Imagine my surprise that someone so young could be so skilled in something she was doing as a hobby! She’s very impressive.”

Nadeshiko beamed, “That she is.”

Naturally, Maki was nearing critical mass. “Yeah, this isn’t embarrassing at all,” she griped quietly, drawing laughter from the other two.

“Well, you two should be on your way. I want to see you around again sometime and soon, alright? We’ll have to take you out to eat properly.”

Nico laughed, mopping up the last of the drizzle for her final bite, “Bribery accepted again, though I’d be happy just to come to spend time with Maki-chan.”

“Thanks again, Mama. This really was nice…”

“It’s not a problem at all. I’m just thankful that things are going so well now. Have a good day, alright? Oh, and don’t forget, tomorrow is your turn at the hospital.

“Right,” Maki confirmed with a smile, standing and leaning over the counter, “Give Papa a kiss from me?” She gave her two.

“When he wakes up, definitely. Have a good day, sweetie.”

The two bowed, bid their best farewells, and grabbed their bags at the door. As soon as they were out the door, Nico hip-checked Maki into one of the entryway pillars and whispered, “Holy shit, that was amazing.”

“Ack! Yeah. It’s one of the best things ever.”

“Also, your Mom is hot.”

Maki double-finger-gunned at the smaller girl as they approached the gate, “Inappropriate.”

“Also, Nico got your mother’s blessing to come back~”

“I got the same,” Maki said, waving it off, “... and she knows what we were up to.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me… Damn, now I’ve got to handle that tonight.”

“Sorry about that. … Oh yeah, who else did you tell?”

“Huh?”

“You said there was someone else you wanted to tell and that you’d take care of the awkward stuff.”

“Oh!” Nico exclaimed, backing out the gate and waiting for Maki to close it behind them, “Nozomi. She knows. She doesn’t know what we did, just that we’re together now.”

“Really? When did you tell her?” Maki blurted, eyes wide.

“Right after lunch. Nico and Nozomi were being maximum bad, skipping class on the roof.”

“You were the one on the roof with her? I think we just missed each other…”

“No way, seriously?”

“Yeah, right after I got away from Minami-senpai, I ended up going up there because I thought she was chasing me. That was probably you on the stairs!”

“Could be. Huh. Weird… wait, you skipped class too?”

“I didn’t want to! Minami-senpai locked us in the storage shed!”

“That’s not a bad idea…” Nico teased with eyebrow waggles, “... and you want Nico to join their idol group? What if they lock Nico in the shed?”

“Well. I’d rescue you, obviously,” Maki replied in a no-nonsense tone, “I’m meeting with them after class but before cram. Do you want to come with me? Make your introduction then?”

“Nico needs at least a day, maybe two, to figure out how she wants to handle this. Don’t worry, Maki-chan has Nico convinced. We’ll have words… but Nico still doesn’t know if she’ll join up just yet.”

Maki pouted, “It’ll be hard getting my heart into the music if I know you’re not going to sing to it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nico chided, “Maki-chan’s music doesn’t need Nico… but Nico might need Maki-chan’s music. That, right now, is the biggest motivator in getting Nico into μ's.”

“If that’s what it takes,” Maki shrugged, resolute in making at least one of their dreams come true, “I’ll get you on that stage…”

Nico watched the ground and smiled, intentionally bumping against Maki in silent appreciation.

The two walked in companionable silence for a bit until a voice called out, “Hey, look! It’s Nyishikino~!”

“Dammit,” Maki quietly growled, Nico looking surprised at both the callout and the reaction… but losing it at Maki’s return of, “It’s Myaki! What is so hard about this!?”

Nico’s laughter was mirrored by Rin as Maki realized she’d unintentionally yelled the neko-fied version of her name and smacked herself on the forehead, “Maki! I meant Maki!”

“Rin-chan,” chided Hanayo at the ginger-haired tomboy’s side, “Stop picking on Maki-chan so much.”

“But it’s so easy!” Rin managed amidst the laughter, “And she’s so cyute when she blushes~!”

“She’s not wrong,” Nico whispered as the two approached, exacerbating Maki’s fluster.

Hanayo single-arm pushed Rin out of the way to bow an apology Maki’s way, “Please don’t mind her. It’s good to see you this morning.”

“It’s fine,” Maki waved off, feeling the good luck of the past days continuing to roll. Hanayo was actually speaking to her directly! Nico watched curiously as Maki continued, “It’s good to see you too. I don’t think I’ve seen you on this commute since the first day.”

“We’re unusually ahead of schedule,” Hanayo replied as Maki and Nico pulled up and then matched pace with the two, “Rin-chan woke up earlier than usual.”

“Nya!? It’s not my fault that school starts too early!” Rin complained, “If they’d give us an extra hour, it’d be perfect.”

“Rin-chan…” Hanayo sighed.

“So, Myaki-chan~ Who’s your friend?” Rin asked, her nonexistent tail twitching in curiosity.

With only a moment’s hesitation and meeting Nico’s eyes for some unspoken confirmation that was only met with amusement, Maki replied, “Hanayo, Rin, this is Yazawa Nico. Nico-chan, these are my classmates Rin and Hanayo.”

Rin clung to Hanayo’s shoulder, leaning both of them closer to say, “Nya!? A third-year!? Is she why you’ve been disappearing on free periods?”

“Sadly, no,” Nico sighed, taking the lead, “We only met recently.”

“How did you meet, if I may ask?” Hanayo replied, “We don’t have much of a reason to go to the third floor.”

“We met at the Live. You were there, but I was in the back so you probably didn’t notice,” Nico admitted, “I took off around the time she left and we bumped into each other.”

“Myaki-chan did seem pretty enthusiastic to be there! It was really surprising!”

“Eh? How come?” Maki interjected.

“Nyai didn’t know Myaki-chan could make a face like that.”

“Rin-chan…” Hanayo groaned.

“I can appreciate good music,” Maki deadpanned.

Bypassing Maki, Hanayo perked up, “So… Nico-senpai. You called it a Live! Do you follow idols as well?”

With a smile barely covering a look of long suffering, Nico ground out, “You could say that.”

“See Nico-chan? You need to advertise better,” Maki chided, bumping Nico with her bag lightly.

“Ehh? What what?” Rin bounced, “What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nico grumbled and waved off.

“Oh no! Nyao I’m even more curious!!” Rin whined.

After a beat, “You’re pretty good with that verbal quirk… Rin, was it?” Nico said leaning in and forcing Maki to fall behind a step or bump the smaller girl.

“Nya!” Rin winked, cheered, and posed.

“See, this is what μ's is missing! Specialized character quirks,” Nico groused, “I don’t suppose you’re considering joining their group? I heard they were looking to expand.”

“Wha? Me?” Rin blurted, looking shocked at the concept, “No way. I wouldn’t look good in girly clothes like that.”

“What are you talking about?” Maki asked incredulously, “Like you’re not cute already.”

Rin stepped away, looking visibly shaken as Hanayo added, “See? Like I keep saying, Rin-chan is incredibly cute.”

“Wha? Wha wha wha?!?!” Rin panicked, waving frantically, “No way. Nuh uh. School uniform skirts are about as far as I can go. Frills and stockings? No way.”

“Why not?” Nico chipped in, staring critically.

“Rin is the athletic type! I’m not curvy or pretty like Kayo-chin or Myaki-chan!” Rin continued to protest.

“Pfft,” Nico scoffed, “I look amazing in idol clothes and I’ve got less curves than you, cat-girl. I bet you’d rock the frills. Who is ‘Kayo-chin?’”

“That would be me,” Hanayo admitted, looking beyond pleased to have a three-person front against Rin’s insecurities, “Kana interpretation stuff.”

“Gotcha,” Nico said with a double-point and a smile, “My name’s like that too! Kind of.”

“Is your name not really Nico, senpai?” Hanayo asked.

“No, it is. That’s just… part of a different thing. I’ll show you sometime. Maybe.”

“Is this that Nico Nico Nii thing?” Maki chimed in, making the sign with one of her hands and feeling pretty good with how the interplay was going.

“Yeah. Making people smile with the power of the Nico Nico.”

“Oh!” Hanayo exclaimed excitedly, “I get it! Oh, that’s so cute! Wow! It’s like you’ve developed an idol persona already!!”

“What is? I don’t get it,” Rin asked, finally chilling out enough from the assault to rejoin the conversation. Nico was too busy looking absurdly pleased with the reaction to reply.

“Think of how the kana looks. Think emoji.”

“... Oh!” Rin chirped, “Nyat IS pretty cool.”

“Still,” Hanayo continued, “I had no idea there were so many people interested in idols at this school! You… said they were recruiting?”

“That’s what Maki-chan said,” Nico redirected, “She’s the one who seems to be tight with μ's.”

“Really!?” Hanayo sparkled, “You know them personally?”

“Err… not really,” Maki demurred, surprised to have the conversation loop back on her, “I mean, we’ve talked…”

“Really?” Nico deadpanned, “Aren’t you being a little modest right now?”

Rin’s scrutiny upon hearing Maki be called out brought a tension that was difficult to talk around. Finger in hair, Maki avoided eye contact and deflected, “Not particularly…”

Continuing to lack psychic abilities, Nico simply detected blood in the water. Teasing opportunities. She pantomimed fingers flying across keys, “Is that right? I’m pretty sure they’d have trouble getting ‘Start’ed if it weren’t for you.” 

Her classmates looking even more confused, Maki glowered at her girlfriend and thwacked her on the rear with her bag, “Nico-chan is bad with secrets.”

“What? What?” Rin bounced, “What’s going on?”

Nico winced at Maki’s frown, “It’s something you should be proud of!”

“It’s like their ages are reversed…” Hanayo marveled, causing Maki to catch Nico’s sheepishness as Nico claimed Maki’s razor-sharp annoyance.

“What does that mean?” Nico grumbled.

“Myaki-chan’s being pretty forceful to someone two years her senior,” Rin explained, “That and senpai is kind of short.”

Pre-empting the storm rising in Nico’s eyes, Maki stepped in a little more forcefully than intended, “Nico-chan has more than proven her dependability. She helped me out of a rough spot recently.” Unfortunately, she sputtered out when she realized that this did nothing to explain the overt familiarity.

“Imagine my surprise when this trainwreck ended up being helpful in return,” Nico supplied, elbowing her playfully in the ribs and knocking her into Rin,” Makes me wish she was in my class.”

Rin gasped, “You can’t take our Myaki-chan!”

“Haah?!?” Maki scoffed, legitimately shocked at the possessiveness, “What are you talking about?”

“You’re our super-cute class rep! Everyone would be sad if you disappeared!” Rin continued, grabbing onto Maki’s arm.

“What are you…” Maki began, the fluster gripping harder than Rin, who was rubbing her cheek all over Maki’s shoulder, “Hey!”

“Rin-chan…” Hanayo said, the hint of steel in her voice, “Stop picking on Maki-chan.”

Obediently, Rin stopped all cheek activity, but continued holding onto Maki’s arm. The unexpected jostling hadn’t had the effect Maki expected, but the expectation itself was enough to put her on edge. She was hyper aware of the contact… and more than a little disappointed in herself for enjoying it as much as she did. She still had the ghost of Nico’s lips against her own and the real deal herself within reach. Worse, Nico was staring at the interplay and not only seemed fine with it, but straight up amused!

How was she supposed to feel about that?

“I didn’t realize Maki-chan’s so popular with her class. I’m not surprised,” Nico added, “She really is super cute.”

“See?! Nico-senpai agrees with me, Kayo-chin. You think so too, right?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point here! You’re embarrassing her!”

“Tch, it’s fine,” Maki brushed off, despite the internal screaming over all the unexpected flattery from unexpected places coming well after the point it would be desired, “Who wouldn’t want to be called cute by so many cute girls at once?”

“Ooh hoh~ Maki-chan’s mackin’ on us,” Nico laughed, grinning crookedly behind her hand, “I had no idea she was such a playboy.”

Riding through the fluster with a calm face, raised chin, and half-lidded eyes because backing down from Nico was no longer an option, especially now that the stakes were public, Maki deadpanned, “Do I look like a boy to you?”

“The only girl more girly than Maki-chan is Kayo-chin, and that’s not fair because Kayo-chin is the cutest girl in the world!” Rin proclaimed, arms wide and falling against Maki fully. Maki barely caught the girl, immediately comparing build and weight to Nico’s which she had spent so much time carrying around just last night. Tighter musculature, vaguely heftier in the way three tissues are heavier than one, more restrained in motion suggesting less trust in the fall.

Maki focused on this instead of the conversation, because otherwise she’d give in to the desire to shove the offensively cute, off-the-table-because-not-Nico girl away. The immediate response that came to her lips was that Nico was clearly the girliest of the girls with her ridiculous candy cane room and permanent strawberry-scented existence… but that would be too much information to be sharing publicly.

Instead, she took a beat and came up with, “Wow. You really like Hanayo, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Rin cheered, leaving Maki’s side to clamor onto a pleased-but-long-suffering Hanayo, “I love Kayo-chin the most!”

“You’re a pretty cute couple,” Nico chimed in, looping an arm around Maki in a way that probably wasn’t, but totally felt possessive, “... but I think you might be overdoing it a bit.”

“No way! I’m holding back, nya~”

“It’s… really fine,” Hanayo replied, enduring endless cheek nuzzles, “I’ve gotten used to it. So… not to harp on the same topic, but… if you’re into idols… did you… did you see that Kaori PopSkip’s new song dropped last night?”

“Ack!” Maki cried out as the hand Nico had laid on her shoulder became a vice… the sound of her discomfort drowned under an incredulous and piercing Nico, “What!?”

“I know!” Hanayo surged, Rin wisely backing away as her best friend’s true form awakened, “They JUST said it was coming soon, but I had no idea they meant THAT soon!”

“Was there a video!? Tell me there was a video!” Nico pleaded at her phone, somehow having teleported to Hanayo’s side, “I step away from the boards for ONE NIGHT and… and… oh my god, look at her. Oh god… Miichi… oh you’re so… so…”

“Perfect?” Hanayo sparkled.

“YES!” Nico raved, bouncing at the still image on the video’s preview and scrambling to find her headset by touch alone, “Oh my god, it’s a duet? Is this a COUPLES SONG!?”

“YES!!” Hanayo squealed at a pitch almost undetectable.

“I’m going to die. KanaMii is real and I can die happy.”

“Watch it! I have feelings about this that I NEED to talk about. Watch it! Right now!”

“I’m watching it RIGHT now. I’m going to die, but I’m watching it.”

Maki and Rin both fell back. The shock Maki felt at the change in her partner was in no way reflected in Rin. Maki kept checking as the two idol lovers scrambled to get the video to load. “Wow,” she managed, realizing that the two were well and truly in another world.

“This is nice!” Rin chirped, “Kayo-chin never has anyone she can really talk idols with. Thanks for introducing them, Maki-chan.”

It took a moment for it to register, but Rin’s pronunciation was finally spot on. Maki met the shorter girl’s appreciative gaze and replied, “Hey, see? I knew you could do it. … and no problem. I had no idea Nico-chan got like this, so this is totally worth it.”

“It’s like they turn into different people,” Rin commented, her voice becoming simpler, more conversational and less sensational.

“People get like that around their passions,” Maki agreed and watched as Nico and Hanayo huddled together, sharing a set of earbuds and biting their lips to what must be a moving song, “... it’s kind of beautiful to watch.”

“Right?” Rin agreed, “Kayo-chin just… she lights up so much. I can’t believe she just did that in public.”

“She does seem pretty shy most of the time.”

“Shy isn’t the half of it! Maybe I should learn more about this idol stuff. Give her someone to talk to about it…”

Nico and Hanayo synchronized screamed/squealed and clung at each other excitedly, making Maki pause to appreciate the visual before replying, “I think she’d appreciate it, but if you ask me, I’d say she’s happy with you the way you are.”

“Huh?” Rin asked, pulling away from her appreciative gaze and into a skeptical rebuttal, “What’re you talking about? No offense, but how would you know how Kayo-chin feels about anything?”

That felt… hostile… and disappointing. Still, Maki pressed on honestly, keeping her face passive and eyes on Nico, “The side benefit of no one talking to you is you have time to watch people. I see how she looks at you, even when you’re not talking.”

“That’s kind of creepy, Maki-chan.”

“What else am I supposed to do with my time?” annoyance saturating her tone, “Unless its you two, Hanna, or Eriko, no one will talk to me without getting weird… and it’s taken me how long to get you just to call me by my name?”

“... I didn’t know it actually bothered you… sorry…”

Ugh. The vague enjoyment she’d felt from voicing her irritation wasn’t worth the guilt at seeing Rin’s energetic smile fade. Rather than let the statement stand and let that guilt continue to tear it’s way through, Maki leaned in to recapture Rin’s attention (which had fallen to the sidewalk) and say, “It’s alright. I’m used to that. Just stick with ‘Maki,’ alright?”

“Myaki won’t work?” Rin teased, bouncing back so immediately that Maki wondered at the sincerity of Rin’s earlier display.

“Too late. You’ve proven you can say it normally. I’ll expect it that way from here on out.”

“Mou… Maki-chan’s so mean…” Rin pouted

Maki just stared the smaller girl down, knowing that the weight of justice was on her end of the scales this time. Plus it felt good to finally fully claim first-name status with the girl. Rin apparently got it too because the pout faded after only a second or two, “If Maki-chan wanted more friends, she should have just asked!”

Continued stare, “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.”

“Who’s got more friends, high-class fancy-pants Maki-chan or little Rin?”

Twitch. The stare turned baleful, “Did you forget the part where I said people get weird when I talk to them?”

“Why do you think they do that?”

“Assumptions. The same thing that happened at my last school.”

“Well, of course people are going to be careful around you,” Rin shrugged as if it were obvious, “Your parents are”

“Not. Me,” Maki growled in interruption, getting deep into Rin’s space and startling her out of her pose, “When you talk to me, you’re not talking to my parents. You’re not talking to a building. You’re. Talking. To. Me. Red hair. Girl your age. About yay high. Likes music, tomatoes, and big jungle cats. Got it? … am I talking to Rin’s parent’s right now?”

Rin stared back, silent with the backdrop of their companions oblivious chatter. Her gaze turned away, to the ground, to Hanayo, to Maki, back to the ground and Maki again.

“... You like cats, eh?”

“Yup.”

“Is that why you like Rin?” Rin asked, the hint of teasing in her voice.

“Nope, but you get a pass since you’re cute,” Maki informed stoically, “I prefer cats I can pet.”

A quick glance to Hanayo and back, casual conversational tone, “You could pet Rin... if you wanted.”

Grateful that her body was currently beyond sated on the carnal front, Maki maintained her composure past this likely misinterpreted entry into the twilight zone and replied in an equally casual voice, “I like Hanayo too much to take her pet away.”

Rin grinned, “Kayo-chin wouldn’t mind. Besides, nothing can take Rin from Kayo-chin. Wait… would Maki-chan prefer Kayo-chin!?”

This could not be what it sounded like. Clearly she just had been spending too much time fantasizing. If it wasn’t for the constant glances toward Hanayo and the lowered voice, she’d never consider this obvious misinterpretation. Fortunately, Maki’s fluster game was at a near nil. After last night, she felt ready to take on the entire world.

“I prefer Rin and Hanayo together. Watching you two being happy together has been the best part of class so far.”

“Together…” Rin smiled. She matched pace a little closer and continued, “Maki-chan should talk more often. You’re nothing like people think.”

“How do people think I am!?” Maki griped, clenching her bag in annoyance, “I don’t get it at all…”

“Well, you look grumpy all the time,” Rin pointed out, “Like right nyow!”

“All the time?” Maki asked, feeling the first semblance of being disheartened that morning.

“Aww, now Maki-chan looks sad! That’s no good!” Rin said with a shoulder nudge, “Who knew Maki-chan was so sensitive!”

“No one, apparently,” Maki groused, pausing a moment before continuing, “... and I’m not sensitive. It’s completely normal to be let down when people avoid you because of your face.”

Rin leaned in, making a show of scrutinizing, “I wouldn’t say it’s because of your face itself, nya know? More what you’re doing with it.”

“I can’t help how my face passively looks!”

“Maki-chan’s face is always cute!” Nico interjected, springing in on the conversation and clinging to Maki’s arm.

“Ack! What are you…!?”

“You have good friends. A+ quality. Hanayo-chan gets the Nico Nii seal of approval.”

“Nico-senpai!” Hanayo cheered, jumping to Rin much as Nico had to Maki. Rin looked about as stunned at the display as Maki had.

“Yeah, they’re alright,” Maki said, making sure to catch Rin’s reaction, which was to look at her with the biggest smile.

 

\------------------

 

The four kept each other company the entire way to the school. Rin and Hanayo continued to grow more comfortable sharing affection with each other in the presence of their petite underclassman, which, in turn, fueled more overt snuggling from Nico. Needless to say, Maki was in heaven. The world was hers for the taking… and all she wanted at the moment was right there beside her.

The two groups parted after passing the school gates, Hanayo mentioning something about the alpacas. After exchanging shoes at the lockers, Nico dragged Maki by the hand to the clubroom. They barely had the door closed before Nico had lunged in, taking Maki off-guard with a forbidden idol-room kiss. This, of course, led to another… and another, and another. There were no words, just hands in hair and lips on skin as the wanton affection carried past lip-to-lip.

As the moment led the two to the table where Nico was leaning further and further back upon, It was Maki who pulled away, heady with adoration, “What brought all this on!?”

“I’m just really happy, alright?” Nico shrugged, all smiles, “This was just a really good morning and I… well…”

Maki slid her hands up Nico’s thighs, having lifted her lightweight lover and sitting her on the table, “... And you?”

“I didn’t want this to end,” Nico said, her voice distant as her fingers laced with Maki’s, “Everything about this is crazy. I know that. It’s just... I haven’t been this happy in… in a very long time.”

Maki could relate. She couldn’t remember feeling this kind of unmitigated joy since… well… since the first year piano recital, before getting home. The purity of this feeling, the honesty of the these emotions, it threw so many preconceived notions to the side. Nothing about this felt forbidden. At no point did she feel dirty. She didn’t feel like any less of a person just because she’d had sex… and yesterday they’d had A LOT of sex.

Even that hadn’t been what she’d expected. No atmospheric music (though that was definitely on the “to do” list), no ‘setting the mood’ lighting, no fading to black, no passing out in each other’s arms no matter how intense the instance. They talked, they laughed, they joked and teased, they made SO many mistakes and it didn’t ruin even a moment of the experience. It was so much more awkward than expected and yet more fun than she could have believed.

The best part though? Just… being there. With her. This sarcastic, crude, unbearably beautiful woman that some benevolent magic crossed paths with her.

Maki didn’t want to let go either.

She leaned in to touch her forehead to Nico’s, “Wow. You make it sound like you like me or something. How embarrassing…”

Nico brushed her lips against Maki’s, nipped at them, and pulled her closer, “Look at you, playing cool.”

“Tch, I’m not playing at anything,” Maki replied breezily, despite leaning in to nuzzle into Nico’s neck, “I’m happy too…”

The two stayed that way for minute, just enjoying the comfort of holding one another. It would have gone on for two had Nico not stirred to say, “We should probably get to class. You’re meeting up with those second years during lunch, right?”

“Yeah. Lunch and during club time after. Then I head off to juku, then home, then study until I pass out.”

“Make sure you eat somewhere during all that. You’re beautiful, but I think your waist is smaller than mine, which is crazy. That can’t be healthy.”

“Are you going to be good for lunch?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Nico assured, fingers combing Maki’s hair, “Mind if I hang around and walk you to your after-school school?”

Deeper nuzzling, “That sounds good.”

“... and you can let me know when you’d be done so I can walk you home?”

“It’s a long walk. Pretty far out of your way.”

“I’d have to spend the night again.”

“It’d be very hard to study with you there.”

“You could study your Nico?”

“... Tempting… but I’m getting pretty far behind. I need to catch up while my sleep cycle is fresh.”

“Maki-chan is very diligent.”

“You’d know that by now, intimately.”

“Hee hee~ I’m starting to like your weirdly formal vocab. It really accentuates that classy elite vibe you’ve got going most of the time.”

“Pft, it’s not like I’m trying to “come off” any particular way.”

“I know… it’s a good thing that Nico is so top-tier, or she’d be worried Maki-chan was out of her league.”

“Meeting me at my worst probably helped with that,” Maki added, smiling into Nico’s collar.

“Yeah, Nico got lucky. Maki-chan too. Taking a stranger home is one of the last things I’d normally consider.”

“I’ll see you after, then? Meet back here?”

“Text Nico. You don’t know how long the second years will keep you.”

“Right.”

The two continued to hold one another. Neither willing to be the one to actually let go.

“Maki-chan should really get to class. Class reps need to be diligent and all that.”

“Nico-chan should set a good example and take the lead.”

“Hey, you let me take the lead and I’ll just lock those doors, cover the windows, and…”

“... and?”

Nico let go and straightened her back, “Nope. Nope nope nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Not happening. Not at school. Girl’s gotta have standards.”

Maki laughed and also straightened up, “Yeah. Good call. Thanks.”

“Nico is an excellent senpai,” Nico informed as she slid off the table, “Proper decorum must be adhered to on school grounds after all.”

“Of course.”

Maki jumped and squeaked as Nico passed her on the way to the door, goosing her on the way, “Now be a good girl and get to class.”

Maki reached out, grabbing the smaller girl by the wrist and pulling her back. When Nico didn’t resist as much as Maki expected, she managed the overcompensation by catching her by the waist and dipping her back slightly. For the first time since leaving the house, Nico looked truly flustered.

“One more to get me through the day?” Maki asked in a low voice, seeing the opportunity and leaning in for it.

“I’m good, thanks,” Nico countered, palming Maki’s face, pushing her back, and waggling her eyebrows. Both immediately laughing at the turnaround before Nico obliged.

 

\------------------

 

Class was class. Hanna seemed surprised at the sudden familiarity Maki, Rin, and Hanayo seemed to share, but for Maki there wasn’t enough time to spend on the social side of school. There were tests on history and Japan’s political structure to be aced, homework to scramble to completion, and cracks to fill with required reading that her cram-school contact Junichirou had texted to her.

The grind didn’t feel as monotonous as before, and after the first couple of questions Maki felt herself slide back into the groove. The secret of her success when it came to study was that most subjects were legitimately enjoyable! Math was a puzzle with clear directions to follow. History was a story where you had to make sure you kept the names and dates straight. The sciences in public school was mostly review of terminology, but the chemistry courses from juku were a dreamlike combination of mathematical equations tied to real-world applications.

Taking a day or two off from the trickling rate that most of her classes dolled out their information let it accumulate into a satisfying bite to savor. A combination of facts that when consumed in at this more rapid pace gave a much clearer vision of the overall picture that the tidbits were trying to make. If it wasn’t for all the tedious homework assignments, it’d be her ideal means of receiving education.

Having so much else to focus on and so many goals to reach in such a short time also made it easier to keep her attention on her work and not on gorgeous raven-haired princesses and their brilliant and energetic families. Later in the day, she would marvel at how little she thought about the incredible events of the past two days. She’d take pride in it. It meant she could still be a goddamn professional, even with magic meddling in her affairs.

Her suddenly sexy sexy affairs.

She was so busy that when lunch finally hit, she had to double check the clock. According to to the message she’d received from Minami-senpai’s more reputable Line account, she planned on bringing Sonoda-senpai, lunches for the three of them, and the promised snack that would in some way include strawberries to the music room. It seemed an odd place to eat, but apparently the school was empty enough that both students and faculty had become comfortable in taking their meals anywhere.

Maki bookmarked her spot in her French textbook, packed her bag, and started on her way. She was stopped by the door by Hanayo’s now far less timid voice, “Oh! Maki-chan! Would you like to eat with us?”

Rin had already started in on a bento loaded with sausages and peppers and Hanayo seemed to be unpacking… rice. Lots… and lots of rice. The invitation was a surprise, but an exciting one. It was with abundantly clear regret that Maki replied, “I’m sorry, I have other plans in the music room.”

“You said you liked music, nya~” Rin commented between bites, “Didn’t you say earlier that you play the piano?”

“That’s right,” Maki confirmed, feeling undue amounts of satisfaction that Rin had remembered the bit of personal trivia, “This is more for professional purposes than for pleasure. Maybe tomorrow?”

Hanayo beamed, “You don’t have to make an appointment with us. Just come over here instead of reading at your desk!”

“Nya!”

God, that verbal tick was weird. Regardless, Maki matched Hanayo’s broad smile and replied, “I’ll look forward to it,” before heading out toward the music room.

Even at their busiest, the halls of Otonokizaka were far from crowded. Her father’s decision to show the family’s support of the community staple made a lot more sense after these past weeks. There were so few students coming in that each one had a greater potential for visibility. While most of the Nishikino focused on the broader picture, the central line had always placed it’s passion and time on the hospital and the public image of the family.

The status that came with her name might not play into her interests and may continue to alienate her from her classmates here at Otonokizaka, but at least it wasn’t the open invitation for competitiveness and false pretenses that Ouran Academy and others of its like would have been. Here, she knew that the actions of her classmates would be genuine. Here, she had a chance to forge genuine relationships. One tour of the elite prestigious academy at Goichi’s side told her all she needed to know… smiles to your face, glares at your back.

Not that Maki had any doubt that Goichi deserved each and every sour look. The guy was a sexist, classist, holier-than-thou, grade-A jerk.

Recent (spectacular) developments aside, Maki was glad to be here. She might be able to walk and talk in the world her family is so nestled in, but it never felt quite right. In that world, art was a commodity to be traded and collected, not cultivated and used as a form of expression. This place felt... homey. Genuine. Authentic. She knew it wasn’t what her father had intended, but in these halls she would be able to give the artist inside her a proper send off. A grand last hurrah. Let it breathe and let it soar for as far as three years could allow.

The thought was somber, but genuinely calming. Her shoulders were relaxed, her smile gentle, and her breathing even. Even as she approached the room where a girl she held massive respect for and another that at times felt intimidatingly intense, Maki felt only optimism. It helped that she spotted the two before she even opened the door, seated well within view of the window.

As promised, it was just the two that awaited her arrival. Minami-senpai’s face lit up as Maki entered, greeting her with an enthusiastic, “There she is! Hello, Maki-chan!”

“I’m so glad you could join us,” Sonoda added, just as calm and even as the entire student body would have expected, “Please, come, sit down. Kotori-chan may have overdone it, so we’ll have to talk while we eat.”

“Hee hee~” Kotori grinned, “You should have seen what I left with Honoka-chan as a distraction.”

Sonoda’s composure cracked a little, “Are you sure that’s a good idea, given her diet?”

“She’ll be fiiiiine!” Minami assured, “More importantly, I hope that Maki-chan doesn’t mind pesto~ I made sandwiches!”

No way… but apparently, yes. With a dramatic flair, Minami pulled away an oversized kerchief and revealed a few stack of chicken pesto and tomato sandwiches. The bread was even brioche. Today… was turning out to be a very good day for Maki’s mouth.

Hoping that her eyes weren’t sparkling too much, Maki commented, “Those look amazing, Minami-senpai. You’re sure it’s alright?”

“I made them with you in mind, Terrible Tomato-chan~”

“Kotori-chan… calling her by a Line handle seems a little much…”

“It’s how I got the inspiration for the meal!” Kotori protested as Maki plucked one from the top and seated herself on the desktop next to Sonoda.

“I don’t mind either way. I’m just grateful to hear something aside of ‘Nishikino’,” Maki said before taking a bite and crooning just a bit.

“Hee hee~ Maki-chan likes it,” Minami cheered, “You too, Umi-chan.”

“If you insist,” Sonoda replied, smiling in a way that told Maki this was an ongoing game between the two. There was some affection in that tone and the way Kotori watched spoke volumes. It also added some context to the odd behavior from yesterday. Was that some sort of territorialism? Preemptively staking her claim?

No matter the reason, these were absolutely delicious. Maki was reminded of Nico’s earlier responses when she turned to Minami, “If these are supposed to bribe me into continuing to work with you, congratulations. These are incredible.”

“Thank you~” Minami demurred, claiming a sandwich of her own after Sonoda had started chewing.

“It’s almost a shame that Kousaka-senpai isn’t here too,” Maki continued between bites, “I need to thank her for being so insistent. Otherwise I’d never have had the opportunity to work with your lyrics, Sonoda-senpai.”

The older girl looked like she was trying very hard to not appear overly pleased, “I’m glad you enjoyed them so much. You did a remarkable job… and in such a short amount of time! We’re very grateful that you’ve agreed to continue working with μ's.”

“On that note,” Maki continued, “Did you have any ideas for what you’d like your next song to be?”

“Nice,” Kotori commented with a grin, “‘On that note.’ That was a pun, right?”

“Kotori-chan…”

“Hee hee~”

“I’ve been giving it some thought,” Sonoda continued, her smile becoming more excited as she spoke, “... and while I’ve brought most of my collection of lyrics with me, there is one song that I’d like to hear your impressions on before the others, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Where had Sonoda-senpai been hiding a smile like that? No wonder Minami-senpai was so protective. Maki replied with a smile of her own, “Of course! Do you have any preconceived ideas on how you’d like it to sound?”

“I had hoped to hear your personal interpretation and perhaps… compare? This is one of the few that has any pre-existing musical notation to it… and even that isn’t formal,” Sonoda explained, “The only reason I’ve even heard these words aloud was that Honoka-chan was so taken with them that she sang this acapella upon deciding to form μ's.”

Ah… a test then. See how compatible her vision was with that of their leader. With a voice mirroring the excitement her first-grade self would have felt, Maki accepted while gesturing to the notebook, “Sounds fun. May I?”

“Of course. I’ve bookmarked the page.”

Maki finished off her sandwich and checked her hands to make sure she was safe to pick up what very well may be the source of a year’s worth of entertainment and challenge. If even one of these was half the gem Start Dash was, then it would be a venture well worth her time. Casually thumbing her way to the marked page revealed that most of the book was already filled with notes, doodles, and words. Lots and lots of words.

“Susume Tomorrow?” Maki asked, finding the page and seeking confirmation.

“That’s the one,” Sonoda said, suddenly looking very anxious. Minami apparently noticed this and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Turning her attention to the page, the opening lines were just as impactful as she could have hoped. Sonoda’s lyrics were so… optimistic. So bright and vibrant that it almost felt sacrilegious to bring her moody self before them. Maki bit her tongue as she assessed the pacing, the punctuation, and the full message of the song. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Could I think it over for the rest of the day? We still plan on meeting up after class, right?”

“Absolutely!” Minami all but shouted, “They’re good, right?”

“Very good,” Maki confirmed, making sure to catch Sonoda’s eyes and reinforce her words with a smile, “May I borrow this?”

“You’re holding something very precious to me,” Sonoda replied calmly, “But I’ll entrust you with it for the day if you think it’d help.”

“No peeking ahead, though!” Minami teased, “Umi-chan might faint in embarrassment if you took in the whole thing at once.”

“Kotori-chan!” Sonoda whined, “I would do no such thing!”

“I’ll treat it with care,” Maki promised. There was something beyond adorable seeing quirky Minami-senpai making the seemingly unflappable Sonoda-senpai get so flustered, “It’s precious to me now as well.”

“Oh hoh?” Minami curiously teased, “Did you hear that Umi-chan? Maki-chan thinks your words are precious~”

“They are!” Maki agreed, mostly to see if she could leverage Minami’s influence to make Sonoda squirm even more, “Your feelings come through so clearly that melodies can’t help but come to mind.”

Jackpot. Full on blush. Damn, that felt good. Minami seemed to catch Maki’s intention and as Sonoda covered her face she passed a wink as if to say, “Good job~”

Maki continued with a wink of her own, “I’ll be sure to only review this song. I’ll consider it part of my interview.”

“I… I’m fairly certain you already have the job if you want it,” Sonoda stammered.

“That’s good and all, but come on! Eat! There’s still a lot left!”

Maki didn’t need to be told twice.

 

\------------------

 

Terrible.tomato.roll: That went well. How was your lunch?

OGNicoNico2: Nico was sooooo lonely without her Maki-chan! (｡•́-ก̀｡)

OGNicoNico2: I had to go bother your classmates instead! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

OGNicoNico2: That Hanayo girl has some serious potential. Rin too.  
Nico is making many plans (•̀o•́)ง

Terrible.tomato.roll: Oh god, what did you do?

OGNicoNico2: ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Maki snorted aloud, still making her way back to her classroom after a nurse-station-coffee-stop. The day was half through, the world was still wonderful, and she wasn’t even feeling slightly sleepy.

Terrible.tomato.roll: That doesn’t inspire confidence, Nico-chan!

OGNicoNico2: Then why are you smiling like the giant nerd you are?

Maki looked up and saw her girlfriend leaning against the stairwell entryway’s frame, sticking out her tongue and waving with her phone. Maki raised her eyebrows, looked back to her phone and typed out a reply before pocketing it.

Terrible.tomato.roll: Gotta go. Just saw the hottest girl. Wish me luck, loser.

Nico rolled her eyes when the message arrived, making a long-suffering face as she pulled it up and immediately laughed aloud. She kept it up until Maki reached the doors, put her phone away and said, “What can I do for you, kid?”

“Kid?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t work either. Don’t worry, Nico will figure this out. Did they have anything for you?”

“She gave me her notebook. I already got a look at the next one and I have got to admit, this stuff is really outside of my genre,” Maki admitted as the two started down the stairs, “It’s… really…”

“Energetic?” Nico offered, “Too pop for Ms. Classic’n’Jazz?”

“Positive,” Maki finished, “Everything about it is really bright, happy, and motivating. I’d never have guessed Sonoda-senpai had such an optimistic girl inside of her.”

“What do you mean?” Nico asked, her voice dropping with concern, “How is positive and optimistic not your genre? That’s kind of the staple of idol music, you know?”

“It’s all kind of… new for me.”

“I know the idol stuff is, but… well… what would you say your genre is?” Nico asked, trying to catch Maki’s eyes but remaining purposefully avoided.

“I really should have gotten around to shoving my playlists at you yesterday,” Maki admitted.

“More fun for next time~ You could always Line Nico to links if you can’t wait for Sunday.”

“You’re open?”

“Nico will make time if it means more Maki-chan~” Nico boasted, thumping her chest and drawing the attention of several meandering students.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Maki cautioned, her smile returning and ignoring the hushed voices and strange glances of the other upperclassmates.

“I’m pretty curious about what she’s got written in there…” Nico admitted, eyeing Maki’s bag.

“Sorry Nico-chan,” Maki sighed exaggeratedly, “This content is confidential. It has only been cleared for μ's members and their affiliates… if you were to join, then maybe I could help you…”

“Good answer,” Nico grinned savagely, “Maki-chan was made for this.”

“I am a professional, after all. Is this your room?”

“It is. You should probably get to class. I was going to walk you to yours!”

“I want to hear how your lunch went with Hanayo and Rin. You’ll make it up to me by letting me know over Line,” Maki informed, “You’ll have five minutes while I get downstairs before class gets started, so you’d better get typing senpai~”

“Bossy rich girl,” Nico laughed.

“The term is ‘assertive,’ Nico-chan,” Maki corrected with a smile. She stepped aside to make room for another student and turned back toward the stairs, “See you after class.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico waved off with a smile, “You better run. Nico has some important business to attend to.” She turned, pulled out her phone, and started tapping as she disappeared into the classroom. Almost immediately, Maki’s phone vibrated. When she whipped it out however, the message wasn’t from Nico.

Minamicheep.3: I’m really glad you liked the food! The dessert for later is gonna knock your socks off! Thanks again, you’ve made Umi-chan so happy!

With an easy smile and smooth optimism filling her heart, Maki tapped out that she was looking forward to it and hit send. Half the day down, and she had been given an extra, very personal, assignment with a very short deadline. She would have a pace and melody for the opening of the song before their gathering this evening. She would awaken this idol energy that just might be dormant inside and bring life to these amazing lyrics.

Magic was clearly on her side. She couldn’t fail!

 

\------------------

 

OGNicoNico2: Would you believe I went down to your classroom hoping you’d still be there?

OGNicoNico2: Nico is strong and independent! Nico follows no one! Man or woman! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و … Maki-chan is bringing out a new side to Nico!

OGNicoNico2: Don’t let it go to your head though. Or do. You’re amazing and I spent all morning thinking about you.

OGNicoNico2: Don’t laugh. It’s complicated.

OGNicoNico2: So, I got down there and your friends invited me to sit with them. That class is tight knit! They were all weirded out that big, bad, senpai Nico had intruded on their exclusive single-class first year club.

OGNicoNico2: No wonder you feel singled out. If I weren’t so awesome it would have been intimidating… and I’m a third year!

OGNicoNico2: I keep forgetting you’re a first year, BTW. Maki-chan is in a class of her own <3

OGNicoNico2: So, Rice Girl (Hanayo), she calls me in and Cat Girl (Rin) is all, “Oh no, don’t bother the third-year! Waahhh Nyaaa Waaah~”

OGNicoNico2: Hilarious. Love of idols transcends age and gender. Hanayo is mah soul sistah~

OGNicoNico2: If I wasn’t still enjoying the new couple’s experience with my gorgeous supermodel trophy girlfriend, I’d adopt that girl on the spot. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to find someone as passionate and knowledgeable as her?

OGNicoNico2: It’s like looking at myself when I was getting started, before becoming the elite idol guru I am today.

OGNicoNico2: … Shit, I should have asked her to join the club. Maki-chan may be right on the advertising front.

OGNicoNico2: Anyway, we talked about KanaMii, DawMin, and even a little KyouDai, which normally isn’t my thing but those boys are… So. Damn. Hot.

OGNicoNico2: Turns out, Hanayo’s got Rin semi-inducted into the life, but that girl can’t keep names straight.

OGNicoNico2: Damn can she dance though. We had a dance-off after we ate. She could almost keep up, but I’ve been collecting moves since before she could walk.

OGNicoNico2: Crap, I can’t use lines like that. You’re the same age. Augh! Forget I said that!!

OGNicoNico2: She was all ‘Check out my Kitty Nah Paw,”

OGNicoNico2: So I bust out the Exo K and school her with “Mama~”

OGNicoNico2: I wish Maki-chan were there because I think I stole the hearts of half the class~

OGNicoNico2: Maki-chan would have been like… a lesbian singularity.

OGNicoNico2: Event Horizon of Homo.

OGNicoNico2: Probably better this way. It wouldn’t be fair to out you in public like that.

OGNicoNico2: Because your jaw would have DROPPED.

OGNicoNico2: I’ll give Maki-chan a private concert sometime.

OGNicoNico2: Anyway, I think I got another disciple in the church of Yazawa. (^.~) ~<3

OGNicoNico2: It’s good to know I still got it.

OGNicoNico2: I miiiight be a bit out of practice. Just a little.

OGNicoNico2: Also, I think I’ve decided how I’m going to handle the μ's thing.

OGNicoNico2: … thank you.

OGNicoNico2: These past couple days have meant the world to me.

OGNicoNico2: I’m going to be making some pretty big jumps soon that are legit scary.

OGNicoNico2: I wouldn’t even think of doing any of this before I took that chance on you.

OGNicoNico2: So… I just want you to know that you’re the best.

OGNicoNico2: Idol positivity might not be your genre, but you’ve lit a fire in my heart.

OGNicoNico2: So, I guess that makes you an idol in my book.

OGNicoNico2: Now delete this thread so you don’t have evidence for later blackmail when Nico is big and famous.

OGNicoNico2: Keep it in your heart, with the rest of your Nico~

 

\------------------

 

Obviously, Maki didn’t delete the thread. Miraculously, she only re-read it three times before forcing herself to put the phone away and get back to the task at hand. Even after, it was hard to keep her mouth passive when her heart was pounding and it kept trying to smile that dopey, goofy smile that her girlfriend seemed to inspire.

‘I’m a goddamn professional,’ Maki thought, reminding herself of the fact a few times as she ascertained the current class’s workload and required attention. This was content she’d touched upon in the past, but she had to make certain that no new aspects or angles would be addressed. If this truly was all review, she’d have most of the period to think about brash smiles and releasing pigtails to run her fingers thr- NO. No.

None of that.

There was another song to write!

A set of lyrics from Sonoda Umi’s private journal which had been physically handed and entrusted to her. That was quite the display of trust. Seriously. So solemn was this duty that Maki didn’t even feel the inclination to flip through to see the rest of the most private thoughts and confessions of one of the school’s most popular “celebrities.” The thought didn’t even occur to her. Half the school would have hunted her down on the spot if they knew what she was staring at while the teacher droned on.

I feel that we have a chance.  
Yes… let’s push forward!  
I don’t want to regret it later, our future lies right ahead.

What followed this opening was a series of English exclamations. The grammar was… regrettably off, but that was fine for most of the people who would be listening. As fine as Maki could be with the grammatical aspects of the language, her pronunciation tended to be rubbish and when put on the spot, it’d all just flitter away. Fine for tests, awful for real world application.

The first three parts were all she’d focus on. If she kept going down, she’d get bogged down in details. Her mind would immediately focus on enriching the piece past whatever basis first entered her thoughts. That wouldn’t do. She had to keep this basic. Minami-senpai and Sonoda-senpai didn’t seem to take this as seriously as Maki had. More of a ‘satisfying a curiosity’ thing. Still, every effort she shared had to be beyond expectation. 

She had to wow them.

Fortunately, the three sections each had a very different and obvious feel to them. The first was a confession. Amping yourself before the jump. It would be solemn, but hopeful. The next would be an open run, crying out to the world what the first part had amped yourself to believe. After that exclamation, the follow-through. Dashing is fun and exciting, but it’s the steady pace that gets the brunt of the work done when the task is long and hard.

Under the guise of studious note-taking, Maki copied down the lyrics and shuffled Sonoda’s precious collection under her own notebook. Tongue peeking out ever so slightly, Maki took to the task of plotting out musical notation lines and breaking the lyrics down to the pace her imagination doled out. 

Her goal may have been to wow these new potential friends, but the real surprise was to herself. It had been no exaggeration when she told Nico that all this idol positivity was outside of her comfort zone. Aishiteru Banzai had been a fervent attempt to pull herself out of the somber and dramatically depressing music that she had set as the soundtrack to her existence.

Back then, her outlook on life had been understandably grim. She was certain of the impending loss of the only aspect of herself that felt genuinely her’s alone, her music. She had been introduced to enough potential suitors to be certain that her future would be tied to one of them in one of the most uncomfortable ways she could imagine. Any attempts to reach out socially always resulted in awkward shuffling and averted gazes… until Omine that is.

Stepping out of that comfortable melancholy was difficult. As her musical preferences would attest to, her world was an island amidst a world of tragedy. Had it not been for her enduring belief in an unknowable core to the universe, mystical and just, her spirit would have likely collapsed completely by now. 

Her parents meant well, but the exposure to the hospital and its workings so early on had left lasting, harrowing effects. It took years for it to sink in just how deeply disturbing it had been the first time she watched someone die, or how faith-shaking it had been having her quick witted grandmother suddenly mistake her for her mother or worse… not recognize her at all.

The nihilism of it all without anything to reinforce the positive aspects of facing those horrors on a daily basis, as her parents seemed to handle in stride, was what her future looked like. She didn’t want that at all. She wanted to be like her parents and save people. She just didn’t know how she’d be able to. Maki imagined that they drew strength from their love for one another… but… given familial obligations, that had almost certainly seemed a measure of support forever out of reach.

So she’d set out to celebrate the acknowledgement of someone she could have loved. She wrote a song that wasn’t a eulogy of it never coming to fruition, but to honor the emotions their bond had inspired. Finding out that those feelings were too weak to support the song was disappointing, but Sonoda’s words offered a better way. A path unexplored. A what-if that had been too bright to consider.

The future may still be bleak, but now that was all in the distance. Here and now, she was being offered a hand and she was going to clasp on as tightly as she could. Sonoda’s optimism hidden away on pages while she maintained a stoic smile. Minami’s passionate energy that was penetrating and undeniable. Kousaka’s dauntless brilliance that cut through her own murky selfishness. Toujou’s wisdom and patient indulgence. Hanayo’s timid interest and Rin’s casual banter. Any one of them would have been enough to restore her hope that the coming years were going to be her best yet.

… and that’s not even mentioning the titanic influence that Nico-chan was bringing to bear.

Her Nico-chan.

Yeah, things have definitely taken a turn for the better.

Maki felt like she’d have a chance. She would push forward. She didn’t want to regret not taking this chance. Her future would be right ahead...

 

\------------------

 

“... The sun’s shining and beckoning the future. Now come, you come too, forge ahead to tomorrow~”

Maki let the last chord, still charged with the energy promising the next stanza, carry for a few seconds, her eyes locked to Sonoda’s and Minami’s. She moistened her lips, dry from the thirst to impress, and took a deep breath to ensure her voice would be even when she asked, “What do you think?”

Minami-senpai’s face had gone wide-eyed, but otherwise completely unreadable after the first couple of notes. Sonoda-senpai had hidden her mouth behind her hand to match that inscrutability. After a moment, Minami nudged Sonoda who in turn answered, “That was… uncanny. Have you spoken to Honoka?”

What did that have to do with her performance? Maki’s tempered expression tightened. “Not since the concert, actually,” Maki answered, “Though I have passed her in the halls. Why do you ask?”

“That’s how Honoka-chan sings it,” Minami explained, still unreadable, “The timing is a little different, and there are a few obvious differences but… it mostly sounds the same.”

“Huh?” Maki asked, eloquently conveying both her confusion and disappointment that the time and heart she had poured into the past several hours had been preempted by someone with no musical background, “Really?”

“There were several differences, but the core was the same. The pace and the flow were nearly identical,” Sonoda continued, hand still covering her mouth, “Thank you very much for putting so much into this in such a short amount of time. I never would have thought you’d already have musical accompaniment prepared.”

This was not the reaction she had expected. Far from what she’d hoped for. That had sounded like a ‘thank you for your time, don’t call us, we’ll call you’ kind of dismissal. Polite, but… still a dismissal. Maki slid closer to the two, leaving the center of the bench and trying to school the disappointment from her voice. Maki pleaded her case, “I feel particularly motivated by your lyrics, Sonoda-senpai. I was excited to work with them again. I hope I haven’t disappointed...”

Sonoda’s hand left her face, revealing just for a moment that she had been biting her lip. That instant filled in the expression that had originally been assumed to be skeptical disbelief into an eager, almost hungry excitement. Just for a moment though, as she replied, “Not at all. If nothing else, you’ve only proven without a shadow of a doubt that it has to be you.”

Maki let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. It was so hard not to over exaggerate the sigh of relief… Nico’s theatrics may be rubbing off. Minami looked taken aback by Sonoda’s tone. There was such resolve and determination in her voice and stance that Maki didn’t blame her. She was feeling pretty surprised herself as Sonoda crossed the distance.

“I know it’s asking a lot, but can we continue to rely on you for this? Composing, that is?”

“Well, yeah,” Maki replied, wide eyed and still working on shaking off that the musical similarities weren’t a bad thing, “That goes without saying at this point, if you’ll have me.”

Sonoda was smiling. She looked beyond excited as she continually glanced at the rough sheet music Maki had spent her afternoon preparing. Minami approached and after laying a hand on Sonoda’s shoulder asked, “Are you going to be alright there, Umi-chan? You look like you’re going to explode.”

“Absolutely,” Sonoda replied, “It’s just that for the first time I think I’m as optimistic about this as Honoka. We’re going to do this!”

Maki satisfied her excited desire to squirm by reigning in an excited smile of her own and crossing her legs. Minami knew Sonoda well, and if this level of expression suggested ecstatic excitement, then the girl could give her lessons on stoicism, “I remember you said you wanted to save the school with this. Is that still the plan?”

“Yes,” Sonoda replied, resolutely, “... and with your music, I feel like it’s finally possible.”

“It was kind of up in the air without you,” Minami admitted, “You can only go so far with one song, after all… are you sure we can’t convince you to join us on stage?”

Since too much of her willpower was tied up in not looking overly excited, Maki didn’t have enough left to not laugh, “You really want me up there with you, don’t you?”

“Honoka really thinks it’d suit you… plus, I’d love to dress you up,” Minami admitted.

“She does talk about you a lot,” Sonoda added, “I understand your hesitation. I didn’t really think myself suited for this either.”

“Really?” Maki heard herself say before catching up with, “I wouldn’t have guessed. You were so energetic during the concert, and you looked so comfortable.”

“Umi-chan trains us pretty hard so we can make it look easy,” Minami explained, “She’s already in such great shape that she can play drill instructor most of the time.”

“I didn’t really mean the physical exertion,” Maki clarified, “It’s more how at ease she seemed on stage, smiling and dancing in those outfits. Your smiles didn’t slip for a second unless the moment in the song called for it… at least from what I can remember.”

“If it wasn’t for Koizumi, you’d have been our most enthusiastic audience member,” Minami commented, “Just keep the idea in mind…”

“... and be patient with Honoka when she finds out,” Sonoda advised, “Kotori is right. Honoka definitely wants you to be a full member of μ's.”

“We all do,” Minami added.

“You definitely make it look fun,” Maki slipped, “I’m just so busy with classes, I’m not sure how I’d fit them in along with composing.”

“This is already more than we could possibly ask for,” Sonoda replied, “I feel we’re in your debt… are you sure there isn’t anything we can offer as compensation?”

Without hesitation, Maki pulled Sonoda’s notebook out and offered it to the older girl. This was a line of conversation she had prepared for, so getting to put those words to use in front of Sonoda left her feeling very, very cool, “Just letting me be a part of this is payment enough. Your lyrics have helped me a lot these past few days… and the introduction to idol culture has been… enriching.”

“Surely that can’t be all,” Sonoda replied, accepting the book with a slightly crestfallen voice, “Keep in mind that Honoka is going to be rather bothersome in the coming days. Let us make this up to you somehow, if only preemptively.”

Minami burst out laughing and struggled to regain composure while Maki gave the idea of the budding idol group owing her a favor some serious thought. Had it not been for Nico’s insistence that she be the one to handle her own introduction, this would have been an ideal time. After a beat, Maki asked, “So, is μ's recruiting in general or is this an exclusive invitation?”

“Hmm. Honoka would say the more the merrier, but one of the biggest names in the school idol runnings right now, Arise, only has three members,” Sonoda replied, “There are definite logistical advantages to a smaller group… but I’ll be the first to admit that we may be in over our heads here.”

Minami followed up with, “None of us are very experienced with the kind of dance idols use, and if it weren’t for you we’d have no music to work with. Honoka-chan really leapt in head first with this and we’ve been scrambling to keep up… but it’s a lot of fun!”

Sonoda smiled at this, “It is, which I hadn’t expected. You are right though, it requires a lot of time and effort. I believe we should expand the group if only to increase its capacity. For the time being we’re running on moxy and Kotori’s excellent costuming… and now your musical expertise.”

“You remembered Hanayo… err… Koizumi,” Maki mentioned with a nod to Minami, “She’s a classmate of mine, as is her friend Hoshizora Rin. If you’re looking for people knowledgeable in idol culture, Hanayo is a very enthusiastic fan.”

“I’d be hesitant to ask them directly,” Sonoda replied, “I wouldn’t want them to feel obligated because an upperclassman pressured them…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Maki assured with an easy smile, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Maki-chan is very helpful!” Minami chirped, “Kind of a big turn around from how things started.”

“I’m personally invested in μ's’ success,” Maki explained simply, “I couldn’t tolerate someone else replacing me at this point. Sonoda-senpai’s lyrics are simply too meaningful for me.”

“It feels a little weird for the senpai to be so reliant on the kouhei,” Minami laughed, reaching out and hugging Sonoda’s arm once she noticed the girl get swept up by feels after hearing Maki’s admission, “I hope you don’t think any less of us.”

“Not at all,” Maki replied warmly. The way Sonoda’s posture relaxed and the way her eyes softened at the contact with Minami felt very telling. Familiar. She continued, “It would take a lot for my opinion of either of you to lessen.”

“Maki-chan is also being very friendly,” Minami commented, “I was worried I upset you yesterday.”

“Kidnapping will do that,” Maki deadpanned, though she lost none of the warmth she felt.

“What,” Sonoda stated in an equally flat voice, turning an irritated glare Minami’s way.

“Maki-chan!” Minami complained, “I thought that was our little secret!”

“Kotori,” Sonoda chided.

“Sorry senpai,” Maki shrugged, “Music room policy. I don’t lie in front of the piano.”

“Oh?” Minami replied eagerly, “How virtuous~”

Sonoda still looked disgruntled, so Minami pressed on, “Does that apply to all pianos or…”

“This is a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Grand…” Maki replied matter-of-factly, knowing that most people wouldn’t give a damn outside of it being black and piano-y, “This is an exceptional instrument and one of the reasons I’m even at this school.”

“I had no idea,” Sonoda murmured, apparently impressed enough by Maki’s tone to temporarily forget that she was upset with Minami, “I suppose we should be grateful to it as well, then.”

“Is that why you wanted to meet here?” Minami asked, fascinated and looking between Maki and the piano, “Would you have trouble being honest with your feelings without piano-san here?”

Now Maki was the disgruntled one. “No,” she recoiled, “It’s not like that at all. I just… this room feels the most relevant.” She took a breath to center her thoughts and continued, “Music is a very personal avenue of creation and this piano is required for me to perform my role for μ's. It only makes sense to work on lyrics as important as Sonoda-senpai’s in a place I’ve claimed as comfortable and sacred.”

“Maki…” Sonoda wondered softly, a hand to her heart, “You give me too much credit.”

“She gives you just enough,” Minami encouraged, fully hugging the girl, “... and I’m grateful for that. Back to this truth thing, though. I could ask you anything. Anything at all... and you’d tell me the truth?”

“It’s not like make a habit of lying, senpai…” Maki groaned, “This is more about being honest with myself.”

“Sounds complicated,” Minami chirped.

“Sounds relatable,” Sonoda sighed.

“Well, if we’re going to be in this sacred space of truth and friendship, let’s seal the deal~” Minami teased.

“Hahh?” Maki and Sonoda replied in stereo.

Minami left Sonoda’s side to pace the room, “The look, the voice, and the spirit of μ's will be decided by us in this room. If the space is sacred then our bond should be too, right? Umi-chan and I are already as tightly bound as two people can be. That’s hardly fair for Maki-chan, but that’s just how it is.”

Minami’s pacing circled around, bringing her directly in front of Maki, "So, since Maki-chan is part of μ's, a very important part, I say we bring her up to speed. We should all be friends. We'll all follow this truth rule of her's while we're here. I want Maki-chan to know she can trust us as much as she's promising that we can trust her."

Maki swallowed hard as Minami leaned close and added, "So, we should spend some time bonding a little."

"Kotori..." Sonoda said with a hint of warning.

"Starting with that!" Minami chirped as she stood tall again pointing to Sonoda excitedly, "Names. Maki-chan is so mature and knowledgeable that I'm uncomfortable hearing her call me senpai. Maki-chan should call me Kotori and we should play a game~"

"A game?" Maki asked, her tone suggesting retreat, “What kind of game?”

“Truth or Dare without the dares~” Minam-... no, Kotori teased, “I want to get to know Maki-chan. Umi-chan wants to get to know Maki-chan. Hopefully Maki-chan wants to get to know us?”

There was no predicting what would come out of this girl next. The whole thing felt a little forced if she was being honest, but… more friends is what she’d wanted when she came to Otonokizaka. Maki checked Sonoda for some sort of guidance and only found long-suffering amusement. Apparently this is just how things rolled for the second years.

“I wouldn’t be against the idea, I suppose,” Maki relented, “Though I do reserve the right to simply not answer if the information is private for someone else.”

“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sonoda assured, “This is actually one of Honoka’s favorites… though she usually leaves the dares in.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Maki promised, still unsure of what she was agreeing to but certain that it was outside of her comfort zone.

“So… how about it?” Kotori asked, plopping down onto the bench next to Maki, facing away from the piano, and placing her in the middle of the three, “We’d be ganging up on you with questions. Umi-chan and I already know eeeeeverything there is to know about one another. So Maki-chan gets to go first. Ask away. Nothing is too much for our cute new friend.”

This felt more and more dangerous by the moment. This was straight up coercion. Blackmail. If Sonoda’s reputation wasn’t so sterling and her expression so amused, Maki would have noped on out, moonwalked down the hall, and pirouetted all the way to juku. Minami’s expression was just too eager. Too open and, dare she suggest, hungry.

Still… Sonoda’s lyrics were too good a bait to ignore… so she’d play this game. Maki weighed how much she wanted to give up in one go. Baring herself so freely to Nico was one thing. It had been mutual and from the influence of some unknowable magic. This was borderline neurotic. Even the act of asking a question was giving an answer of sorts… so after a moment’s consideration she asked, “Alright then, Kotori, why were you so interested in my orientation yesterday? It didn’t have any bearing on composing for μ's...”

The weight of Maki’s eye contact hopefully conveyed the weight of her decision to not include the part where Kotori had suggested potential hook-up time with Sonoda. She had a feeling that would have been awkward for everyone involved. That eye contact faltered when she heard Sonoda groan behind her.

“Kotori…” Sonoda moaned, “Why would you even bring that up with her? Are you TRYING to chase away our composer?”

“Aww, Umi-chan… don’t be so embarrassed!” Kotori chirped, bouncing to her side, “... and the answer to that, Maki-chan, is simple.”

With that, Kotori took Sonoda by the shoulders, turned the now wide-eyed girl face-to-face, and planted a long, deep smooch, punctuated with an exaggerated, “MmmmmmmmmmmmWAH~!”

“KOTORI!!” Sonoda wailed, pulling away (but not far) and covering her face as she turned away from Maki, “Oh my god! Why would you do that in front of her?!?”

“I think she’s staking her claim, senpai,” Maki replied, now in full understanding, feeling far more comfortable with Kotori’s oddities, and almost shamefully appreciative of the show. To emphasize this she re-crossed her legs and leaned in on her palms, “Don’t worry. I’m not offended at all. Please, continue.”

“HAHA!” Kotori cheered as Sonoda’s face matched Maki’s hair. Kotori nuzzle-hugged the highly reputable pillar of the school’s community and added, “That’s only part of the equation, but yes. You’re not entirely wrong.”

“This is so embarrassing…” Sonoda whined, “Kotori…”

“Don’t be embarrassed, senpai!” Maki teased, further cementing her alliance with Kotori, “This is a beautiful thing. There’s a reason so much music is written about it.”

Sonoda’s proud bearing was completely lost. Now she just looked like a tiny pouting bird under the wings of its much larger and protective chirp monster. The visual was almost painfully adorable and Maki couldn’t wait to tell Nico all about the potentially bisexual band she had joined. The cute factor kicked it to eleven when Sonoda almost met Maki’s eyes and muttered, “... Umi…”

Kotori caught this and cheek nuzzled the critically red-faced girl, “What was that Umi-chan?”

Sonoda was the epitome of misery, “If you’re going to call Kotori Kotori, then you should call me Umi as well. It’s only fair.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Umi,” Maki replied placatingly, “I place myself in your care.”

The formality seemed to help Umi a little. At least she was smiling again, just a touch. “... and we place ourselves in yours. You seem to be handling this very well…”

“I prefer women, myself,” Maki explained with a hand wave, feeling far cooler than she knew she had any right but too happy to care, “but don’t worry, I won’t do anything to come between any of you.”

“I don’t think that would be the problem,” Umi replied, her composure returning though the blush remained, “Honoka and Kotori…”

“The three of us are as one,” Kotori explained conspiratorially as she skittered her fingers along Umi’s shoulder, “... and while I’m devoted to Umi-chan and Honoka-chan... “

“Honoka is very openly affectionate,” Umi added, “I often doubt she understands what a boundary is.”

“Ah,” Maki replied, “She wouldn’t be the only one I’ve had experience with lately then. It’s okay, I’m sure I’ll be alright with your precaution.”

“I think you may be underestimating Honoka-chan’s enthusiasm,” Kotori explained, “Like I said before, just tell her no and she’ll be fine without any hurt feelings. She might forget that you said it an hour later though.”

“That sounds like a problem.”

“You have no idea,” Umi groaned.

“There’s a reason Honoka-chan’s parents made sure she was sent here,” Kotori grinned, pantomiming various illicit acts behind Umi’s back.

“This is a lot to take in at once,” Maki replied, not feeling burdened at all.

“Was there anything you wanted to ask me?” Umi prompted.

With Umi, things were easy. Maki immediately replied, “Your lyrics already taught me a lot about you. I’m looking forward to calling you a friend and hope you come to feel the same about me.”

“Nothing at all?” She sounded disappointed.

Matching Kotori’s grin, Maki leaned in and asked, “I suppose I could inquire as to the details in this… very illicit relationship you seem to share with the other μ's members. As a more experienced senpai, I’m sure I would have a lot to learn…”

Kotori lost it completely, giggling and clinging to a surprisingly unphased and wry-smiling Umi. Umi let her partner continue for a few seconds before her entire posture relaxed and she replied, “Alright, look you.”

Kotori laughed even louder.

“I thought we would have propriety in common at least,” Umi chided with a smile, “If I would have known you were as bad as this girl, I would have had us search for a composer elsewhere.”

It felt like a jibe, but hit like a jab. The smile Umi gave was so honest, but the deep fear of having the two disappear and have them take their musical adventure with them gripped hard. Fortunately, neither of the older girls noticed Maki’s tremor or the weakening of her smile. She rolled with it. She had to believe it was just a joke, so she feigned confidence with a cocky, “Please, you know this just makes me a more perfect fit for your group.”

“Are you sure you won’t dance with us?” Kotori pleaded, eyes sparkling from behind Umi’s shoulder, “I really want to dress you up. Isn’t she just so pretty, Umi-chan?”

“Yes, Maki is quite lovely, but she’s made her decision Kotori. You should respect that… besides, I’m fairly certain that her participation in Lives would have no bearing on your ability to provide her with outfits.”

This week could not be real. Real life isn’t this fun or exciting. Things don’t go this well for so long without some sort of let down. Maki added Toujou-senpai to the list of people she needed to talk to. Since magic had taken such an interest in her personal affairs, best to seek the advice of someone knowledgeable on the topic.

Outwardly, she kept the confident posturing rolling, complete with finger quotations “I’ll allow it, just keep in mind that I have a reputation to maintain. I’m alright with you two knowing the “shameful truth,” but I’d like to maintain that image for my family’s sake. I’m sure you understand, Umi?”

Oh. Oh, her name was fun to say out loud. The way her mouth was literally forced to form a smile at the end was so nice. It was the same with Kotori, but the motion for Umi rolled so much smoother. Nico’s name was like the preparation and follow through for a kiss, now that she thought of it.

“I do,” Umi replied, looking more at ease by the moment.

That expression dropped again as Kotori reminded, “Umi-chan is avoiding the question~”

“She is,” Maki supported.

“Mou…” Umi pouted.

“Do you need me to fill in for you? I’m sure I could do a better job of filling in Maki-chan on all of the details…” Kotori teased.

“That will not be necessary!” Umi all but roared, “Just know that I’ll require an answer in kind!”

“It’d be a short answer,” Maki replied, just feeling the snark rolling, “I’ve never been with Kotori or Kousaka-senpai.”

“If she hears you call us by our first names and not her, Honoka-chan will cry,” Kotori warned.

“Then I’ll have something not μ's-related to talk to her about,” Maki shrugged, “Besides, from the sound of it, the two of you would be there to comfort her.”

“We’re never short of opportunities for that,” Umi groaned.

“Still stalling?” Kotori teased.

“I wasn’t going to interrupt everyone for something so shameful!” Umi cried.

“Being with us is shameful?” Kotori asked, gasping theatrically with hand to heart.

“MOU!” Umi whined.

All this adorable couples teasing made Maki look forward to seeing Nico again all the more. It was almost a physical ache in its intensity.

“Fine. Suffice it to say, there are no boundaries between Honoka, Kotori, and myself. I’ll go into no further details but I’m certain your licentious mind can fill those in perfectly well,” Umi relented with a huff. Kotori looked so proud.

Still smiling, Maki eased, “I’ll try not to too often. Don’t worry, what we talk about in here is just between us. Right?”

“That goes without saying,” Umi replied, still recovering, “... and you?”

“Me?”

“I’m turning your question on you.”

“Umi…” Maki sighed with a shrug, “Like I said, I’ve never been with Kotori, Kousaka-senpai, or you. You’re not offering, are you?”

Kotori was laughing again, Umi returned to full on fluster, and Maki felt very… very good.

 

\------------------

 

Terrible.tomato.roll: All done. Meet in the music room?

With almost no delay, suggesting that the girl had been waiting with phone in hand...

OGNicoNico2: Already there, sugar. <3

OGNicoNico2: Ugh. No. Not that either.

Terrible.tomato.roll: Anyone else in there?

OGNicoNico2: No… why?

Terrible.tomato.roll: The door locks from the inside, right?

OGNicoNico2: Maki-chan! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

OGNicoNico2: I appreciate the sentiment, but we really don’t have time.

OGNicoNico2: We don’t have time, do we?

OGNicoNico2: You have class.

OGNicoNico2: Maki?

Maki stormed into the clubroom. The lights were already off and Nico spun around from the computer, wide-eyed and gasping.

“Nico-chan…” Maki growled with a wide smile, flipping the lock on the door behind her, “The lights are off already?”

“I… you… I was just! What are you…?”

‘Nice,’ Maki preened to herself. Pulling reactions like these out of Nico was unreasonably fun. She really had planned on immediately setting out for juku. Treat her gorgeous girlfriend to crepes on the way. Talk about how great the μ's meeting went. Flatter her with all the thoughts she’d had about her since they’d parted after lunch and praise her for being such an amazing person.

She really did.

But… darn it, she was already leaning the poor overwhelmed girl back over the table, hands grasping at her thighs and untucking her shirt as she showered her skin with declarations of need and hungry, desperate kisses.

Feast or famine. Times were good right now. So good. Unsure of which was currently stronger, her need to touch and be touched, or the overflowing swell of affection… Maki decided it didn’t matter. She would give into this fully. Surrender to the desire to dominate. As intense as Nico’s gasping pleas sounded as she clawed at the table, Maki’s mouth on her bared back and sides as her hands were otherwise occupied… there wasn’t much reason to restrain herself anyway.

 

\------------------

 

Author’s Notes:

This chapter was supposed to be focused almost entirely on Maki establishing her relationship with Umi and Kotori. It really was. Nico was insistent and Maki demanded that I do what Nico wanted because she deserves the world. I’ll try to do a better job of wrangling them next time.

This also ended up taking longer and being longer than I expected. I hope it was worth the wait. Seeing how long this is getting has me reconsidering the format I’m posting in. I should probably break this up into smaller chapters and make the various years completely separate stories within an overarching Nishikino “series.” Still getting used to the AO3 format.

I’ve got a 15 hour drive to Kansas that I get to be a passenger for at the end of next week. I’m hoping that I’ll get some writing done on the way <3

I finally re-downloaded School Idol Festival and started a new account. The old one was level 44 and I was so proud of my three SRs. Things sucked before guaranteed SRs from 11 pulls were a thing. Hanayo welcomed me back with the Christmas UR as my first SR ticket pull <3 Goodbye expendable income.

Not sure if any of you checked out the completely unrelated to Love Live webcomic that I write and draw (masterycomic.com), but we’ve finally got the first book printed! That’s exciting. Once I get my commissions wrapped up, I totally want to illustrate moments for this fic. >.o

All of the comments have been completely unexpected and really nice. Thanks for reading and taking the time to let me know what you think. <3 Now that this is up, I’mma go treat myself and read lonelypond’s Santa Cutie And The Christmas Cookie Queen. So hype.


	10. All In 24 Hours

**Nishikino Maki  11:45 PM**

 

“That really can’t happen again, Maki-chan.”  
  
“I don’t see why not,” Maki replied breezily, swiping her highlighter over another mistake she’d caught in her homework assignment for later assessment, “The door locks. It’s late enough that no one would bother us. There’s no one in your club except you and me… and I’m just an unofficial member.”

“Aww, Maki-chan’s joining the idol research club!?” Nico’s excited voice rang through Maki’s headset. Maki’s light smile turned to a cocky grin at her successful redirect.

“Doesn’t that go without saying?,” Maki assured, “Though I’ll have trouble researching any idols that aren’t you…”

“Unacceptable!” Nico denied, “I have SO MUCH that I need you to catch up on. So much music. So many shining, beautiful ladies!”

Maki pouted, pursing her lips and tapping her pen against her chin, “But you’re my favorite…”

“... That’s not fair! You can’t say things like that!” Nico whined, “Any girlfriend of mine HAS to be well versed in idol culture!”  
  
Warm flutters rushed from her heart to her smile. Maki had to bite her lip to keep herself from giggling as she imagined the other girl thumping her chest in pride. “Yeah,” Maki staved off and did her best to turn her voice serious, “Well any girlfriend of MINE has to NOT be an internet troll!”

“Augh… I said I was sorry!” Nico pouted.

“... So you took the comments down?”

“Yes…”

“Good,” Maki chided, “When did you even make those?”

“It was right before their first live. I… kinda spied on some of their practice runs.”

“I’m completely disillusioned,” Maki deadpanned in voice through her smile, “You’re lucky you’re so pretty, or I’d have to seriously reconsider this relationship.”

“Maki-chan! You can’t say things like that unless you really mean them!” Nico cried out, “That’s so mean!”

“Sorry,” Maki sighed contentedly, “You’re just really fun to pick on. It makes me wish I could see your face right now. It’s probably all scrunched up and angry right now.”

“Oh, I’ve got a face for you, snotty rich girl,” Nico growled and then continued in a harsh whisper, “You’re not the only one re-evaluating this relationship! Nico is virtuous and pure! I had no idea I was dating a… a nymphomaniac!”

Maki grinned and bit her tongue as she made a note next to the highlighter mark as to how the mistake got there (Forgot to carry over the one... again), “I’m nothing of the sort. I’m just following your example.”

She shifted to the next page and continued, “This is all pretty overwhelming for me too, you know. I’m not even used to hugging. Can you really blame me for surrendering to a beautiful fairytale princess that happens to be the #1 greatest idol in the universe when she brings me home?”

“Maki-chan…” Nico whined.

“All I’m saying is that Nico-chan set the pace. I’m not going to lose, **_darling_ ** ,” Maki affirmed, feeling gratified at both the lack of mistakes and the tone of Nico’s complaining. The toss-in of the English ‘darling’ was her own attempt at a pet name… and she kind of liked it.

“This isn’t a competition!”

“Maybe not for you. Admittedly, I’m still trying to figure out which I enjoy more. When you take charge or when I do.”

“Maki-chan is way too comfortable talking about this.”

“Communication is important in a relationship,” Maki barreled forward, delighting in keeping Nico off balance, “... and Nico-chan is too precious to risk over something as silly as shame. At least when it’s just us…”

“Stoooop iiiit!” Nico whined, the thumping in the background likely her kicking and slapping her bed as she flopped from side to side.

“That’s the other thing, if you say stop, you should mean it,” Maki chided, “You really surprised me with how upset you were when I did as you said!”

“Nico was so close!” the whining was gone, replaced by prideful chiding,” Maki-chan needs to learn to read the mood!”

Uh oh. Counter offensive. Break out a bigger gun, “Maybe we need a safe word…”

“Augh! Maki-chan is too knowledgeable! My virgin ears!!”

“Nico-chan, there is no part of you that could possibly be classified as “Virgin” now…”

“That’s not true,” Nico chided, “We both agreed that there were some places tha-”

“Right,” Maki interrupted, her smile dropping, “Sorry. You don’t need to say it. You’re right.”

“Oohoh~ Does Maki-chan not like talking about bu-”

“Nooooooooooooooope,” Maki drawled in her very deepest voice, “No way. I totally don’t get that at all. Huge turn off. Let’s go back to talking about something good like Nico-chan’s eyes or voice... or maybe you joining μ's. Do you have a plan for that yet?”

About half-way through the ‘nope,’ Nico had started laughing. She had barely caught her breath by the end of Maki’s suggestions and there was some muttering that Maki couldn’t quite make out.

“Not yet, but Nico isn’t far off. I ran into that Kousaka Honoka yesterday. Had to get a feel for what I was dealing with. Then I caught up with Nico’s second biggest fan Nozomi.”

“I need to talk to her, too,” Maki added and shifted to the next page, “Especially now that I know that she knows about us.”

“She doesn’t know everything,” Nico warned, “I don’t really want her to, either.”

“That’s fair,” Maki agreed, “Thanks for the warning. I don’t want anyone thinking less of you because of your relationship with me. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.”

“I can tell,” Nico deadpanned, “Maki-chan is so handsy.”

“Not that,” Maki sighed, “The stigma surrounding it.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me more. I like hearing Maki-chan’s mature thoughts.”

“Pfft,” Maki pff’ed, “The way everyone acts about it made me think I’d feel differently after all this. Like I should be ashamed.”

“Ashamed of Nico?”

“No way,” Maki waved off, capping her highlighter and shuffling the paper to the bottom of the stack, “You’re amazing. That I should be ashamed of not being a virgin anymore… though the concept of virginity itself is inherently flawed from a medical standpoint. The more I think about it the more I’m bothered.”

“I loves it when Maki-chan talks nerd.”

Giving up on the homework entirely, Maki leaned on her phone hand and twirled her pen, “You get it, right? I’m your first too. Do you feel “sullied” or “impure” just because we spent some time kissing and touching each other?”

“Nico wanted to talk to you about that a little,” Nico continued in a hushed voice. There was rustling on the other end of the line and then Nico’s voice was much closer, “No… I don’t feel dirty at all. I just feel close… and warm.”

Maki closed her books and padded her way to the bed as Nico continued, “I don’t really feel like anything with you could make me… less. Does that make sense?”

Maki slid the covers aside and sat where Nico slept not even twenty-four hours earlier. She felt so warm and heavy as she replied, “It does… I wish you were here…”

“Aww~ Does Maki-chan miss her Nico~?”

Without hesitation, her heart choosing that moment to drive the fact home, Maki whispered, “Yes.” After a beat and a sigh, she continued, “I do. More than I thought I would.”

The quiet static of the phone was all Maki heard. She laid on her side and stared at her phone, watching the call duration tick higher. She let the silence hang for a few moments. The ache was physical. Her arms felt empty and her bed too large. She sighed and continued, “I knew it would be difficult… but not like this.”

Maki only heard Nico’s breathing on the other end of the line. It was late and there was a good chance, given the weight on her eyes, that she’d be able to sleep again tonight. Not that she wanted to now. There was still reading she needed to do and another homework assignment to wrap up. She didn’t want to do those either. If she couldn’t physically be there, she just wanted to do this. Just this. Talking or even just listening to her breathing on a cellphone.

“The pillow still smells like you.”

Light static-laden giggling, “Maki-chan is so… so primal for a high-class rich girl. Everything is scent and sound with you.”

“And touch,” Maki amended, “Taste ranks up there pretty well too.”

“My point stands. You’re not as cerebral as I would have expected. The way you talk really gives the wrong impression.”

Eyelids drooping, Maki held the phone closer as she nuzzled Last-Night-Nico’s pillow, “That just means that Nico gets to know me best. How did your talk with your Mother go?”

“We talked. Just a bit. It was a conversation I never expected to have. It’s funny that it took this long to hear, but she wanted me to let you know that you’re welcome over at any time. She just wants us to keep “us” on the down low around Cocoro, Cocoa, and Cotaro, not that she needed to tell me.”

Just hearing their names deepened Maki’s smile, “I miss them too. I can’t wait to come back.”

More steady breathing was her reply. The phone had to have been really close to pick up the sound. It took a couple of moments, but a very quiet, “I can’t wait either…”

“It really is hard. I’m half tempted to sneak out and come over right now…”

Soft giggling and more shuffling, “Don’t you dare. It’s so far past curfew it’s ridiculous. Besides, Maki-chan needs to sleep. Don’t you have that hospital thing tomorrow?”

Another sigh. This one far heavier, “Yeah. I’ll be tending to Grandmother tomorrow.”

“Is she someone I’ll get to meet soon?”

A much stronger ache joined the party as Maki chewed on her lip. She’d have to tell Nico sometime… but did she want to drop that on her now? … Eh, why not. Communication was important, after all.  
  
“As much as I’d like that… I don’t think that would work out very well.”

“She’d catch on too quick that you’ve fallen for your senior classmate?”

Wistful smile, “Not quite. If she was having be a good day, everything would be fine. If she was having an off day, she might not recognize me and it could get pretty bad. I’m probably not going to be permitted to help with her care much longer unless I get more formal training.”

“Oh… I didn’t know…”

“You had no way to know,” Maki assured, “It’s alright. I still want to try sometime, but not during a hospital visit. I’d want to introduce you properly.”

“As your friend?”

“If it meant you could be here now, I’d tell anyone the whole thing…” Maki sighed, “God, I am being so not cool right now...”

“Backstage pass to Maki-chan’s shame… her heart’s too big and she misses her Nico.”

“My Nico.”

“Yazawa Nico, sending a Nico Nico straight to your heart,” Nico whispered. She sounded pretty happy.

“... and you call me a nerd.”

More giggling followed by a sigh, “How are you so easy to talk to?”

“... I could ask you the same. Half the things you say should drive me nuts.”

“Heehee~ Maki-chan just loooooves her Nico too much.”

Maki closed her eyes. Everything was so warm and she felt so happy, ache and all. Her smile practically brushing the phone, she replied, “I think you might be right.”

She couldn’t even hear Nico’s breathing anymore. Just the steady background static that seemed part and parcel of telephone communication. Proof that the line was still active. The warmth was strong enough that she barely noticed. Sleep was floating in and muddying her consciousness. Muddied enough that all she could feel was happiness and satisfaction as she said, “I think about you all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. I really… really wish you were here so I could tell you to your pretty face.”

Distantly, static almost overpowering Nico’s whisper, “Tell me what?”

“Tell you goodnight. Tell you how pretty you are. Tell you how happy you make me. Hold onto you and feel you breathe. You’re so warm… did you know that? Nico is like… like a big furnace. There’s so much I want to tell you… but I want to see you when I do it. We should be face-timing… but then I wouldn’t want to close my eyes…”

“Maki-chan sounds pretty tired. Am I losing you over there?”

“Mmm… can I see you tomorrow?”

“Promise.”

“I promise.”

“No… I… I mean that I… oh man you are falling asleep over there,” Nico laughed, “Tell you what. You go to sleep, you dream about your Nico, and you tell me all about it tomorrow. Alright?”

“Mm… my Nico…”

“Goodnight Maki-chan.”

“Night…”  


**Yazawa Nico  12:25 AM**

This is… amazing.

Everything was amazing.

Crazy dangerous, completely overwhelming, absolutely amazing.

Every song made sense and fell short at the same time.

This was all way faster than it had any right to be.

They ran up like, three flights of stairs together, jumped off, and have been falling for miles. They watched shooting stars and splashed through the milky way, laughing and kissing and flirting all the way. She was full-body-hugging her pillow with her phone sandwiched between, over her heart.

Holy crap she had it bad.

It was good, but it was bad. Really good. Wonderfully good… but… was it?

It felt good. It felt sooooo... so so good.

How dare this girl come into her life, derail everything by trying to set it back on track and simultaneously succeed while causing a twelve car pile-up? … well, a nine-car pile-up if Nozomi was to be believed.

After her dropping off her overly-amorous girlfriend at her after-school-school, she made a beeline for Kanda Myojin. It wasn’t uncommon for her to spend the afternoon in Miko garb, though it had been a few weeks since she’d last pitched in. It was a decent enough way to spend the after-school hours to keep the illusion alive for the kids. Plus, it was way less expensive than trolling around arcades down the main strip of Aki.

If only Satsuma-sensei hadn’t made a habit of making the rounds at @home Cafe. The extra income had been nice and she’d really started to bring a few regulars. Foiled at every turn… until Maki, that is. Cautious as her mind wanted her to be, her heart and body were playing an unfair tag-team operation that the redhead seemed to be in cahoots with. That was going well enough. So far.

It was usually a safe bet that if the magical grope monster wasn’t off “parfait”ing it up with Eli, she’d be sweeping and counseling at Kanda… and since she’d burnt the last of her expendable funds sniping auctions from Lashinbang, she’d have to make her donation through time and effort as compensation.

Hey, a girl’s got to have her pride.

Sure enough, Nozomi was there, looking like she’d been expecting her. It was annoying, because now that Nico was starting to buy in to the magic thing she wasn’t sure how much was cocky bluster and how much was legitimate mystical insight. Either way, Nico had to double up on the teasing to compensate for the newfound intimidation factor.

She still wasn’t being very open either. Sure, her methods were being explained in an almost concerning, “I am taking you as my disciple, young padawan,” kind of way, but there was some overall plot that was being kept just out of reach.

Nico liked the girl, but god damn was she squirrely.

Oh and she worked Nico hard today. Cleaning gutters, taking out trash, folding envelopes… all back-room, out-of-sight work to keep the two of them separated. That’s how Nico knew something was up. Still, it felt good to have something mindless to keep her hands busy.

They barely had any time to catch up... but in what felt like a very calculated conversation, Nozomi finally admitted to having a plan and that there were nine very important people involved in it. Everyone was important to it, and Nico herself was among the nine.

Well… maybe not in so many words, but it was what Nico had gleaned and ran through her Toujou-Translator.

Between Nozomi’s subterfuge, Kousaka’s moxie, and Maki’s haphazard brilliance, things in her life were finally moving again. Some of it hurt… a lot. Some of it was insulting. All of it was new and almost all of it was uncomfortable. Her head kept telling her to just hole up in her dark solitary clubroom. Keep hoarding precious idol treasures and bask in a radiance she’d never grasp. Spill her tired bitterness onto forums and keep sinking into the disdain she’d been taught to have for herself…

It said that, but someone had caught her by the heart. Someone completely untouched by the opinions of her former and current classmates. Someone who, even after seeing how awful she could be (some of those comments were pretty mean), didn’t run off. She just… went right back on kissing while telling her she was better than that. A reprimand, an order to do better, an expectation that it would be done. She saw her at her very worst, the height of hypocrisy, and wasn’t phased in the slightest.

How do you fight that?

Why would you want to?

There wasn’t a single thing about this that made sense… but it didn’t matter.

She was hoping again.

** Kousaka Honoka  7:23 AM  
**

“Come on! Why not?!?”

Umi-chan was frowning. She did that a lot, but it looked good on her. She made stern look cute. You definitely couldn’t tell her that… and it wouldn’t make Kotori-chan happy to know that she thought Umi was just as cute looking grumpy in her school uniform as she was dancing and laughing in their idol outfits.

“Because! She said she didn’t want to. That’s reason enough,” Umi grumbled.

“Kotori-chan! Back me up! She absolutely HAS to join!”

Kotori had the “patient smile” on. The battle was already lost. Light and easy, Kotori replied, “She already has, Honoka-chan. She’s already agreed to be a very important part of μ's. We don’t want to scare her off, do we?”

Sullen, “No… but!”

“No buts!” Umi interrupted, “We need her. We have her. She wants to work with us. I’m not going to let you chase her away.”

Confused, “I don’t want to chase her away… I want her to come closer!”

At least Kotori was laughing now.

“Why are you so insistent?” Umi asked, arms wide, “Instead of imposing on her further, we should focus on our next concert, right? There’s all of Otonokizaka to ask. You shouldn’t focus on doubling down on someone who has already agreed to help us.”

“I know…” the weight undiminished.

“You haven’t bothered the girls in the A/V club to join. Is there a reason for that?” Kotori asked.

“They’re way too busy and they’re already helping with the dancing by handling the lights!”

“At least you’re that aware… Maki is helping by providing the music. She’s very busy, you know,” Umi chided.

“Mmmmmm…”

“It’s okay Honoka-chan. It’s alright. Even if it’s just us, we’ll be good,” Kotori assured.

“If we can’t get people who are already here want to join μ's, then how are we going to convince new students they’d want to go here?”

Honoka’s companions fell a few steps behind, wide eyed.

“That’s your reasoning?” Umi balked, “That… that actually makes sense.”

“Mou!! Don’t sound so surprised. You’re mean, Umi!”

“She’s speaking from experience, Honoka-chan,” Kotori eased, making sure to lay a hand on Umi’s shoulder when their fearless leader’s words proved to hit home a little harder than anticipated.

Honoka groaned and rubbed her eyes, “Can I at least go thank her? It’s not fair for you two to keep her to yourselves!”

“What do you think we’re doing, Honoka?” Umi groused, “We’re making music. It’s hard work.”

“I’m still a little jealous. She gets to keep you to herself for a few hours and I don’t get any time with anyone as compensation…”

“μ's gets its music,” Umi deadpanned, “Doesn’t that count at all?”

“Ugh… but she’s so cute!”

“Back to this again,” Kotori sing-songed, “Why don’t you tell us why you’re really jealous Ho-no-ka-chan~?”

“RRRRRRR!” Honoka growled, turning on Kotori menacingly, “Is that what you think is going on here?”

“Yes,” Umi confirmed.

“Absolutely,” Kotori affirmed.

“You’re wrong!” Honoka denied.

“Then what is it? What’s wrong, Honoka-chan?” Kotori asked soothingly.

With a pout, “It’s lonely going home alone.”

Umi looked too stricken to reply, so Kotori slid in, “We’ll talk to Maki about it, okay?”

“Alright…”

 

**Toujou Nozomi  8:30 AM**

This was a good morning. Most mornings were good mornings lately, but this one was especially good. After weeks of subtle nudges and gentle leads, things were so close to falling into place. Everything from the light greeting her this morning through the window to the cards practically singing a pre-emptive victory song had her certain that the fates were on their side.

The costs could come later. This was too important an opportunity to let pass. One only had to look to her friends to see how important it was to touch the sky, rather than try and remain forever earthbound.

One last run with the cards. One last reminder before she fully committed to sealing things. The readings remained mostly unchanged. They would all be changed. To a one, for the better. What came after… that was the catch. That’s what she really needed to swallow and accept if she would be able to properly devote wholly.

She’d never seen readings like these before. She knew her heart must have decided already if all of the spirits and methods of divination were so clear. It was as if it was already done. How do you weigh one person against another? How do you justify cost when you’re not the one paying?

It was hard to remember that this really did seem to be what the girl wanted. Hardships like these shouldn’t be tied to simultaneous happiness.

She could do her best to mitigate later. She would do her best to carry that load as it came. For now, there was one smile above all that she needed to restore. One that was already passively in place while the girl finished signing off on a club register.

“Alright, that should do it for now. Let’s get back to class,” Eli announced, making a show of dusting off her hands, “Sorry I’ve kept you so long.”

“You keep me this long every morning, Elicchi,” Nozomi replied, lazily collecting her cards, “... and you act like you let me do something for you.”

“Oh!... Where did Oida go?”

“She left with that stack of forms for Noda-sensei and then went back to her homeroom.”

“Oh…”

“Like you asked,” Nozomi added with a teasing lilt.

“Right.”

“Is Elicchi going senile in her old age?”

“We’re hardly old enough for that,” Eli replied easily, before smirking and continuing, “Well, I am anyway. You have a few months on me. Why don’t you tell me what it’s like at the nursing home?”

“My back is killing me and I can’t find my teeth,” Nozomi shot back with a wide grin.

“They’re in your mouth, granny,” Eli returned, handing her second-in-command a few pages, “If your memory isn’t completely gone, could you hand these to Ida-sensei and remind Nico that I need her updated register soon.”

“I predict that she’ll have it ready in three days,” Nozomi assured, “I have a good feeling for her this year.”

“What are you up to?” Eli nudged, “This wouldn’t have anything to do with those second years, would it?”

“Elicchi… you know you shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

“Nozomi…,” Eli warned, “You know what it’d do to her if she had another group bail on her.”

Nozomi bopped Eli on the nose with the pages, “Better to have loved and lost? Besides. If she chased them away, wouldn’t that just achieve what you’ve been trying to do?”

“I don’t want it to happen like that.”

“Who’s to say it would?”

Eli opened the door for Nozomi and sighed, “Just be careful, alright?”

Nozomi reached to touch the door, so close to Eli that for a moment they brushed, “I’m always careful when it counts, Elicchi.”

“Nozomi…”

“Have a little faith,” Nozomi winked and walked away.  
  
  


**Nishikino Maki  9:17 AM**

 

Maki was breathing rarified air. This much regular sleep had her feeling sharp and energized. Plenty of get-up-and-go to feel thoroughly charged with anxiety over not having her second period homework completed.

She felt a little bad for waking Nico up earlier than necessary. Turns out she didn’t start her routine as early due to shorter commute. Fortunately it had just been a text instead of a call, but if it the roles were reversed she wouldn’t have ever made it back to sleep.

At least getting in so early gave her time to scramble that second period assignment to completion. Even still, she only got roughly three-quarters through the list of questions before other students started to shuffle in.

“Good morning, Nishikino~”

“Hanna. Good morning.”

“Is that… are you doing your homework now?”

“That’s right,” Maki said with a nod, her eyes still on the assignment, “You’re in early.”

“Funny, hearing that from you. I’m starting to think you live here.”

“Mm.”

“You know,” Hanna continued, “You might have an easier time with that if you paid attention during class instead of messing around on your phone all period.”

“The class rep inside you is awakening,” Maki replied, “... and I understand the material easily enough. I just didn’t have time to do it.”

The tall girl set down in the seat next to Maki, “So… what do you do then? Cram?”

“Of course,” Maki answered, barely keeping the annoyance from her tone, “High expectations for the Nishikino girl. Always more to do.”

“I heard you were hanging out with the second years after class. Sonoda and Minami?”

“I was. I’m surprised that a music room with such high quality equipment isn’t occupied during club periods.”

“Well, most of ‘em are still getting set up,” Hanna explained, “You have any clubs in mind?”

That was the first question that didn’t feel like a jab. The first of the morning that didn’t feel… confrontational. Maki closed the book, set down her pencil and gave Hanna her full attention with her best attempt at a casual smile “I do, actually. A little torn between two.”

“You sure? You’re cramming your homework before class as is. You gonna have time for club activities on top of it?”

Maki shrugged, “It’s not always like this. I’ll find the time. How about you? Any clubs in mind?”

The question seemed to surprise the taller girl. For some reason that pissed Maki off all the more. What did these girls think of her, anyway?

“Track. All the way. This girl’s gotta keep moving! You must exercise a lot, right?”

“Bueh?”

Shit. That was not the sound she’d intended to make. Her tension only held a moment since Hanna only gave a slight lip quirk at the reaction before continuing, “I mean, look at you. You’re a rail. It’s like all your weight is from your ribs up and your hips down. That has to take some work.”

“Not like what you must go through. All this? This is piano and healthy eating.”

“No way. I don’t believe it.”

“It takes a lot of effort to play a grand piano,” Maki explained, “and your cardio needs to be in decent shape if you sing on top of it.”

“You sing too? Jeez. Well, if it comes to a cavalry battle, I’ll be relying on you, alright?”

“Hopefully not to carry you around…”

“HA! No no no. Not that I doubt you could. I was thinking more Rin for that role.”

“... Now that I think about it, how are we going to have a sports festival with only one classroom?”

Hanna looked shocked, so Maki continued, “Isn’t there supposed to be some sort of competition aspect to it? Who would we compete against? I guess we could face down the other years, but… that doesn’t seem entirely fair.”

That seemed to get her fired up, “Maybe not, but it’s a challenge! We’ll have to make sure we’re ready!”

“Ready for what, nya?” Rin asked as she entered the room, “What’s going on?”

“Rin!” Hanna cried out, turning and calling out, “Rin! Emergency meeting! Your desk! We’ve got to be prepared!”

Maki let out a relieved sigh and shook her head as the taller girl scrambled off. Before she could get her book open again, she noticed someone take the seat in front of her that usually wouldn’t be occupied until the bell was about to ring.

“Good morning, Maki-chan.”

Her gentle voice was filled with uncharacteristic confidence… or maybe it was just new for her ears. Either way, it was a strange kind of wonderful to hear Hanayo sounding so self-assured and at ease. Particularly so after Hanna’s abrasiveness.

“Good morning, Hanayo… wait, you preferred Kayo-chin, didn’t you?”

The girl smiled brilliantly, “You remembered! That was so long ago! Do you know what Hanna’s so worked up over?”

“The sports festival came up and she realized we don’t have another class in our year to compete against,” Maki explained, trying not to look over at Hanna and Rin’s overdramatized flailing.

Hanayo held no such reservations, watching with open amusement, “... Don’t they stop having those in high school?”

Blink. “If so, that’s even funnier.”

“Poor Rin-chan. She’s going to be so disappointed,” Hanayo sighed and then turned back to Maki, “You’re looking pretty good today. Good night last night?”

Maki… didn’t feel on edge about the question, but she was surprised who she was hearing it from. Someone was keeping an eye on her closely enough to gauge her daily performance. Someone she had been watching more than most and had not once caught watching her. Distantly grateful for Hanna's earlier interruption getting the social side of her brain engaged, Maki returned, "I got a good night's sleep. A few in a row, actually. It makes a world of difference."

"I'll bet."

"Your friend, Nico-senpai, is really cool. I'm glad that you introduced us."

With a genuine smile, Maki replied, "Eh, she's alright. Given your aligned interests, it would have only been a matter of time before you met up... probably."

Hanayo nodded enthusiastically, "She has definitely made me happier about coming to Otonokizaka, given the current circumstances."

"The thing about it closing?"

"It's a little sad to think that we'll never be senpais for anyone..."

"There's always college," Maki suggested, leaning on her palm and settling in once she realized the other girl wasn't just making small talk. This was a genuine, for real, conversation, "... if that's your thing."

"Oh, we'll see. That's still a ways off, though I imagine you have everything planned out that far, don't you?"

A conversation that was shifting into surprisingly personal territory very early on. There was a hitch of hesitation, but current events had taught Maki that years of reservation brings heartache and unfulfilled desires while opening up a little (sleep deprived antics aside) got you a gorgeous girlfriend that sets your heart and body on fire. This... probably wouldn't go that way. It had better not or she'd be disappointed in herself, but the lesson stuck.

"There's a plan. I'm still working on my participation in it."

"That's a very unusual answer," Hanayo replied, "May I pry?"

"I'll allow it," Maki grinned, meeting the other girl's offered smile, "Though, we might need to continue this later. Homeroom will be starting soon."

"I'll look forward to it then. Nico-senpai exchanged contact information with me. Maybe we could do the same?"

"I'd like that."

High school was turning out way better than Maki could have ever hoped.  
  


**Yazawa Nico  11:12 AM**

 

The first thought Nico had as her phone vibrated was that she was being a terrible... terrible influence. This was quickly forgotten in her excitement to have not only a distraction from Math, but maybe get some solid plans about what would be happening during lunch. She had a feeling that her days of munching quietly alone in the clubroom, subsisting on idol news and personal salt just as much as the food, were over.

  
Sure, she was falling behind a bit on her idol-watching, but… the benefits were well worth that cost. There was a bite of shame as she reached for her phone and found herself hoping that there would be some sort of flirty allusion that yesterday’s indulgences would be continuing regardless of last night’s complaints.  
  
Seeing that it was indeed a message, and that it was from her terrible tomato, only heightened this excitement… though, to be fair it wasn’t like anyone else was messaging her.

 **terrible.tomato.roll:** I think we both made a friend.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Hanayo can’t stop talking about you.  <3  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I know the feeling. It’s really hard to play dumb about you. I don’t like it.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Are we on for lunch? Would you want me to bring you anything?  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I’d like to listen to what you call good. I need famously good, classically good, fundamentally good, current examples good, explanations on why they are considered such, and your preferences.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I need to hit the ground running and you, being the president of the _idol research_ club, should be able to answer that much, right?  
  
When the hell did all of these messages come in!? Also, did her girlfriend just give her homework? Seriously? Sure, it was like… the perfect subject, but come on! Before she could even consider tapping in a response, the “impending message” ellipse popped up at the bottom of the chat.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** This is exciting, but it’s somewhat disappointing.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I was hoping to have some dessert with my lunch.  
  
Oh my god. You nerd. You thirsty-ass nerd.

 **terrible.tomato.roll:** Something sweet.  
  
That right there is the feeling of second-hand embarrassment. Not having those beautiful eyes or that smooth voice to back this up really accentuated how hilariously awkward the girl was. The funny part was how endearing it was knowing that the brilliant rich princess was a complete dork.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Just some alternate thoughts for how to spend lunch if you don’t come up with anything in the next hour.

  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I do need to catch up…

Nico finally got her thoughts together enough to get typing, hoping to stave off any continued adorkable awkwardness.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** You have absolutely zero chill.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** You gave Nico an assignment. Worse, you gave Nico the okay to start initiating you into idol culture. You are mine now.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** It’s okay. You can say I’m hot… and wasn’t I already?

 **OGNicoNico2:** Zero. Chill. Also yes.

 **OGNicoNico2:** You’re coming to class during lunch. Get ready to take notes.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I need twelve more hours per day. I’d still be behind.  
  
It was hard, but Nico re-locked the phone to pack it away. She really did need to pay attention. This stuff was hard enough to muddle through without being overwhelmed with unfamiliar feelings of endearment… but when the phone silently shivered again Nico couldn’t help but eye the preview.  
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Are you the one Maki-ch…  
  
Damn. That was Hanayo. Her new idol bestie. Her new idol bestie asking something about her girlfriend.  
  
Damn.  
  
Fine.  
  
Unlock. Swipe.  
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Are you the one Maki-chan is messaging?  
  
Great. She wasn’t even being subtle with that phone.

 **OGNicoNico2:** Is class out for you guys already or something? If Nico gets caught it’s going to be cleaning duty for a week.  
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Sorry! She just looks so happy. I’m glad she has such a good friend.

Another message popped up, back in the Maki chat.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** You never answered about food. If I can’t eat my Nico, at least let me feed her.  
  
Oh. My god.  
  
A new window popped.  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Nicocchi… if you keep this up you’re going to get caught.

Back in Maki’s, **  
** **  
** **terrible.tomato.roll:** If I don’t hear anything, I’m bringing vending machine soup.  
  
Ugh.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Bento please~ ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)  Just be quick. Lots to go through. Very little time.

 **ShiroInari.Girl:** So, what do you do for lunch normally? Should we expect to see you today?

 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Nicocchi…  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I can do that.

 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Your vibrate isn’t as quiet as you think.  
  
Oh god.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I’m looking forward to seeing you.

 **ShiroInari.Girl:** I’m sorry! Σ(‘◉⌓◉’) I’ll stop texting until break.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I don’t know if it’s a bad thing that this isn’t embarrassing anymore  
  
Oh god what was this even?  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Wow. You really are popular today, aren’t you, Nicocchi?

 **terrible.tomato.roll:** Maybe a little before we get started?  
  
Locked.  
  
Stashed.  
  
Wired eyes locked to the whiteboard, desperately making sure the teacher wasn’t preparing to chuck a marker at her head.  
  
Was this what it meant to be popular?  
  
Nico checked her five’o’clock and saw a very… very amused Nozomi tapping her pen against her cheek.  
  
Jeez. Why did it take until her third year for these girls to show up?  
  


**Ayase Eli  11:45 AM** **  
  
**  
  
“Weren’t you making it worse then? Texting her during class?”  
  
“I was trying to help!” Nozomi explained that carefree mischievous way that suggested she was doing anything but.  
  
The line at the canteen was moving surprisingly slow today, which wasn’t all that bad a thing. Taking things slow, appreciating the view, and spending some time just standing with her best friend without any responsibilities outside of waiting was a great change of pace. Eli had been so busy and preoccupied that it wasn’t until just now that she realized how long it had been since they’d been able to do this.  
  
“Did you remind her about her register?”  
  
“Eh… heh heh…”  
  
She’d have to make time after class. It wasn’t fair that she rely so heavily on Nozomi when she had her own share of struggles. Putting up with her moodiness must have been a trial in itself, and here Nozomi was, juggling not only her issues but Nico’s as well?  
  
“We need a vacation,” Eli quietly groused, “... or at least some more people to help with council business.”  
  
“It’s good to hear you admit it,” Nozomi replied, “I was starting to wonder if you would realize before your hair fell out.”  
  
Eli smirked, “Again with the old talk. You’ve seen my babushka . You know my hair is staying right where it’s at.”  
  
“Ah ah, Elicchi ~” Nozomi chided, “Hair loss comes from the male side, and your dedushka has a landing strip you could park a jet on~”  
  
The image was too much. Eli immediately cracked up at the thought of the poor old man trying to balance that load while insisting he was fine. The laughter felt great, but paled before seeing the satisfied sparkle in Nozomi’s eyes.  
  
“So, no register I take it?”  
  
“No more council business until you’ve eaten,” Nozomi insisted, “I won’t hear another word.”  
  
“What else is there to talk about?” Eli laughed, “Council is the only thing keeping me from thinking about worse things these days.”  
  
“After school plans?” Nozomi suggested.  
  
“Why, Ms. Toujou,” Eli chided dramatically, “Are you suggesting after-school delinquency? You know it would be entirely improper to be seen being overly frivolous in Otonokizaka attire!”  
  
“You don’t have a change of clothes? You owe me ice cream.”  
  
With a defeated smile, “... I suppose I do.”  
  
“You’re paying up today, even if it’s my treat,” Nozomi insisted, patting her on the shoulder and reminding her to keep moving forward.  
  
Stifling a laugh, Eli replied, “That doesn’t make any sense at all, Nozomi.”  
  
“Think of my peace of mind, Elicchi.”  
  
“How can I argue with that?”  
  
“You can’t. Sorry. So, where are you taking me?”  
  
“How about we figure it out on the way?”  
  
“Oh~ I like that idea. The view is beautiful today,” Nozomi cooed, turning to take in the view from the windows.

Eli watched and couldn’t help but admit, “It really is.”  
  
  


**Nishikino Maki  12:15 AM**

 

“Now, this…” Nico began, winding up her introduction as the next page loaded, “... is Noriko Isume. She doesn’t get a lot of credit in the community, but you can hear aspects of her more popular songs in almost every idol that’s popular today. A real trend-setter.”  
  
“You really do know your stuff, Nico-chan,” Maki commented before settling in to pop more food down the hatch.  
  
“Of course I do. This has been my life as much as music has been yours,” Nico explained matter-of-factly, “Just promise you’ll listen and watch through the whole thing this time before taking notes.”  
  
“I got it, I got it,” Maki confirmed with exaggerated irritation, “The visuals are important too.”  
  
“If you’re going to be writing for me, you’ve got to understand the whole package. Who knows how much research those second years have under their belt. We might have to take over completely to make this group work.”  
  
Maki leaned in with her smirkiest smirk, “You seem pretty confident they’ll let you join.”  
  
“Ha!” Nico bit back, “One look at this room and they’ll know their place.”  
  
“You are such a cocky shit,” Maki teased, contemplated biting the girl’s shoulder, and reconsidered given that she was wearing so many layers.  
  
“It’s not cockiness if you can back it up. Ugh, the net here is so slow…”  
  
“I was just going to say that,” Maki agreed, pulling up another bite from her gyudon.  
  
“At least you have that to chew on… Maki-chan is way too bitey for her own good.”  
  
Her mouth was full, so she couldn’t defend herself. Just as well, there was nothing to defend. Maki shrugged, kept chewing, and waggled her eyebrows to tease.  
  
“You left marks,” Nico pouted, “... again. How is Nico supposed to wear cute idol outfits with a dozen big red bitey Maki marks all over her?”  
  
After a swallow and a smirk, Maki replied, “There’s not a dozen, though if you want to make it that we could take a break after the next video.”  
  
“You’re ignoring the point,” Nico deadpanned, making Maki grin harder.  
  
“Don’t worry. We’re good with makeup. Wouldn’t it be exciting if I got to help you cover them up before every live or photoshoot?”  
  
“That’s a surefire way to get caught, Maki-chan. You just want more excuses to get your hands on me.”  
  
Maki scraped together a final bite of rice in the bowl and admitted, “Well. Yeah,”  
  
She leaned in, nose to nose, and with a light cheery voice added, “... and if that video doesn’t start up soon, I’ll be low on excuses not to...”

Nico gave her exactly the reaction she was shooting for. Brushing it off with a half-hearted attempt to hide just how badly she was flustered by the flirtation. Amazingly satisfying.  
  
“Ugh, so needy,” Nico griped with a smile, “I gotta dump your sorry butt before you cause me problems.”  
  
“Please, you know I’m doing you a favor. If I wasn’t gunning for you so hard you’d never let yourself get any.”  
  
“... and you say I’m crude.”  
  
“I’m just saying. How many girls that look like this,” Maki gestured to herself, “... are falling over themselves to be your secret lover?”  
  
“If I told you, they wouldn’t be a secret anymore,” Nico replied, making a show of polishing her bright pink nails on her blazer.  
  
They held out long enough until they caught each other’s eyes and immediately lost it.  
  
“Hello everyone! Thank you for coming out this evening! Are you ready!?!”  
  
“Oh!” Nico flailed, smacking Maki’s shoulder excitedly, “It’s starting! It’s starting!”  
  
“She’s cute.”  
  
“Right!? They didn’t do makeup as hard back then. She got her start doing voice acting and made a full career of it. She was skills first. Get ready to fall in love~”  
  
“Alright!!! Let me hear you go wild!!!”

  


**Sonoda Umi  2:00 PM**

  


“Free study~ Whoo~” Honoka cheered, “I’m gonna study being free!”  
  
“Sit down, Kousaka. You have reading, so read,” their battle-worn instructor groaned.  
  
“Aww…” Honoka whined, drawing laughter from Kotori and about a dozen other classmates.  
  
Endearing as her antics were, Umi wasn’t about to encourage them… at least not publicly. Not that she was planning on doing the reading right now either.  
  
Right now, she had her journal sitting hidden behind her book. One of her most personal possessions that, for the first time, she recently handed to someone who took it out of sight. Any concern over whether she should have faith in their composer was long gone.  
  
She… she could be a real friend.  
  
As flattering as Nishikino had been, and she had been very kind, there was no sense of inflation to it. It was honest. She was impressed not by her bearing or reputation, but by the very most personal aspects of her character recorded here. It was as if she was flattering her very heart.  
  
Even more incredible was the fact that the first year had only looked at the specific page she’d requested. Umi hadn’t thought such a thing could have so much meaning. Kotori was right. Nishikino Maki simply had to be a part of µ's.  
  
As exciting as the fantastical dresses and daring dances were, having these words sung to the world with such vibrant music… it was the utmost in exhibitionistic pleasure. Terrifying, thrilling, and nearly taboo in intensity… and she knew a thing or two about indulging in the taboo.  
  
Tomorrow, she would try to introduce Nishikino to her next song. The recording of their vocals, paired with snippets of their first live, had brought in a surprising amount of support from that website. Apparently, even some of the nay-sayers had retracted their statements. This was a good start and they would need to capitalize on this momentum. If the first year composer was so motivated, she would have to strike while the iron was hot. Continue to feed this passion of hers with more of herself and maybe, just maybe, they could make this work.  
  
The page before her was blank. Fortunately, Sonoda Umi was bursting at the seams with new feelings and full throttle optimism. She had to put some of it on the page or she’d likely snap her bow with the strength of her spirit.  
  
She put her pen to the paper, visions of twirling skirts and confident smiles filling her mind.

 

**Koizumi Hanayo  3:17 PM**

 

‘Well that’s interesting…’ Hanayo thought to herself, spotting a potential idol sister in someone a week ago she would have never guessed.  
  
Class celebrity and oddity Nishikino Maki was looking at the µ's recruitment forms like she was trying to set them on fire with her mind. She had it in hand and was chewing on her lip hard enough that it looked painful.  
  
Rin was still getting her bag together in the classroom, having fallen asleep close to the end during free study. It was unusual of her to not wait, but after watching their class rep blaze out of the classroom yet again, her curiosity was at its peak.  
  
She was at the live put on by the second years. She had a third year friend who was wildly connected and knowledgeable in idol culture. Since the live, her in-class concentration seemed to have all but vanished. Hanayo recognized the signs. She’d lived them first-hand.  
  
Nishikino Maki had idol fever.  
  
Only she didn’t just want to watch. The girl already in line for greatness was clearly aching like she was. She wasn’t satisfied just sitting on the sidelines. She wanted to shine. She wanted to soar… and if anyone in their class would be able, it would be her. She HAD to help her. Right before her was a star waiting to burst into light. She could be there to support her from the start.  
  
She, Koizumi Hanayo, would make Nishikino Maki shine as she’s clearly always wanted.  
  
Her shoe squeaked on the floor as she turned to hide and collect her thoughts. When she turned, the red haired class rep was gone… leaving behind a small, classy, leatherbound pass case.

 

Things just more interesting…

 

 

**Nishikino Maki  4:15 PM**

 

  
“Oh no. Something has happened to my granddaughter. Just look Satchi, have you ever seen her look that happy?”  
  
“Grandmother,” Maki laughed, the hint of hesitation in her heart tossed aside as her run of good luck continued, “If I’m happy, it’s because I’m coming to see you.”  
  
“Ha! What a sweet girl. Come here,” the older woman, Nishikino Sae, beckoned from her wheelchair. Maki obliged and leaned down to accept a kiss on the cheek before returning in kind. She held Maki by the arms and stared her down.  
  
“No. There’s something good going on in your life. You can’t fool me. Tell me all about it on the way.”  
  
“Yes grandmother,” Maki agreed quickly reaffirming what would and what wouldn’t be safe as they approached the car.  
  
“How are you settling in at Otonokizaka? I can not tell you how pleased I am that you’re attending it,” the Nishikino matriarch asked as Maki held the door and she was transferred to the seat, “It’s a shame about it’s impending closure, but those are the times I suppose. I’m just glad you can be there while it lasted.”  
  
“I’m making friends. That’s a nice change.”  
  
“Well that’s just wonderful. Didn’t I tell you that things get better as you age? Now, tell me about this song your mother has been raving to me about.”  
  
Maki blinked, buckling herself in beside her grandmother and immediately covering the woman’s hand with her own, “Start Dash? She told you about it?”  
  
“Oh, you are all my dear Nadeshiko ever talks about. Yes. Do you have a recording of it?”  
  
“I do… piano-only, mixed instrumental, with myself at vocals, and with my friends singing,” Maki replied dutifully, squeezing her grandmother’s hand affectionately, “I wrote it for their up and coming group. Let me find my headphones.”  
  
“What did I tell you? Music will bring far more pleasure to your life than the hospital. It can’t be all consuming. That’s what happened to your grandfather, you know. All work and no play,” the woman replied, covering Maki’s hand with her other, “You’re not like Nadeshiko or that silly boy of her’s. I like to think you take after me.”  
  
“Grandmother…, “ Maki demurred, locating the headset in her bag and beginning the untangling process, “You give me too much credit.”  
  
“Nonsense,” she replied, the outside world on the move behind her, “I’ll have you know that this is precisely why I’m so delighted that you will inherit all of this. Our hospital isn’t a place of business. It’s a house of mending. Art is vital for healing the soul and that’s precisely why you will excel. It simply HAS to be you. That fool Goichi would cast our good name into the mud for a few percentages of profit.”  
  
“You know I’ll do my best,” Maki confirmed, offering the ear buds and trying not to squirm too much at the praise, “Which version would you like to hear first?”  
  
“The order you mentioned dear. I do love listening to the evolution of your composition.”  
  
‘Yes,’ Maki thought with a smile, ‘This was turning out to be another very good day.’

 

**Koizumi Hanayo  5:25 PM**

  
  
Maki’s house was way further out than Hanayo would have guessed. She had long passed her own turn, and her phone claimed she had a few blocks remaining. Wonderful. Plenty of time to overthink this decision and come up with more ways that this could all go horribly wrong.  
  
No.  
  
No, this would be fine. She wouldn’t make Rin-chan worry for nothing. There was plenty of evidence to support that Maki didn’t secretly hate her and wouldn’t blow up at her for returning her student ID. The very thought was ridiculous.  
  
Not that that stopped her mind from replaying the vision of their attractive class rep glaring disdainfully and dismissing her coldly before having ‘the help’ shove her off their property.  
  
Completely ridiculous… but that’s kind of how anxiety works.  
  
These houses were… really quite nice though. It was hard to imagine places this big being nestled away from the main hustle and bustle of the district. Had it not been for the recent µ's concert and the rare faces she’d seen thereafter, Hanayo would still just see that first angry expression she’d seen on the first day superimposed over her each and every time.  
  
Now? Now, even Rin was softening up on her opinion. Whatever they’d talked (about while she and Nico-senpai were watching history in the making with the confirmation of KanaMii), had completely changed Rin’s tone regarding their class rep. It was a little jarring, actually. Rin hadn’t really thought much of her at first. Her comments even bordered on hostility when they were alone.  
  
There were just so many mixed signals coming from Maki!  
  
On every front!  
  
First she’s the responsible-nearing-professional type, then she’s going out of her way to try and get on a first name basis with anyone who talks to her. She’s composed, gets good grades and seems highly knowledgeable… but she plays around on her phone during class and attends after-school concerts with enthusiasm bordering on manic… all while stumbling around like she was drunk or something. She’s distant and passive-faced all the time, but is apparently best friends with a wildly expressive third year that is obsessed with idols?  
  
She didn’t make any sense at all.  
  
She didn’t make any sense, but she was clearly trying to get closer. No amount of anxiety over the up and coming conversation could refute how clear it was that Maki was trying to connect. She saw the similarities from her own experiences. If anyone could relate to Maki’s awkward attempts at friend-making, she could.  
  
… and there it was. The gate with the right number on it. The name placard read Nishikino and the buzzer underneath waited, daring her to push the call button if she was brave enough. The house behind it was… well… it was intimidating.  
  
Hanayo took a moment. Re-read the name. Re-checked the address on the ID. Put the ID back in her bag so it didn’t look like she’d clutched onto it the entire way there. Rehearsed her explanation for being there a few more times and then finally reached forward to tap the button.  
  
“Oh, hello. Can I help you?”  
  
“EEP!” Hanayo meeped, jumping and spinning around to face the voice that came not from the bell system but a woman behind her.  
  
“I. You? I was… Yes,” Hanayo replied, totally nailing it.  
  
“Are you here for Maki? One of her friends maybe?” The woman asked easily. The slow pace of her voice and crisp enunciation seemed intentional, as if to put her at ease.  
  
“Yes…”  
  
“Well come on in,” the woman who absolutely had to be Maki’s mother invited, passing her on the left and tapping her purse against the paddock. She held the gate open and beckoned for Hanayo to follow, “You have very good timing.”  
  
“Thank you for welcoming me to your home,” Hanayo replied, leaning a bit heavily on the formality, “I hope it isn’t a bother.”  
  
The woman seemed to sparkle as she opened the front door and assured, “Not at all! I’m very happy to see more of Maki’s friends from school. My name is Nishikino Nadeshiko and I am Maki’s mother.”  
  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Koizumi Hanayo, a classmate of Maki’s.”  
  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hanayo. Maki won’t likely be home for a little bit yet, so please come in and make yourself at home.”  
  
Well this was a hitch Hanayo hadn’t considered. Still, the woman’s soothing presence had done a good job of dissolving her jitters… and the inside of the house finished the job in silencing her conscious thoughts. Hanayo’s family wasn’t doing poorly by any means… but this was something else. Tall ceilings, Ornate (yet tasteful) picture frames, separate sitting and living rooms… an actual grand piano just… sitting there in the corner.  
  
Neither of these were where she found herself led to, instead being seated at a couch longer than her bedroom in what must have been some kind of… secondary sitting room? A reading room? The walls were lined with books and awards… this was likely the “impress your guest” room more than anything else, if Hanayo had to wager.  
  
“Please, make yourself comfortable. I’ll go put some tea on. Maki shouldn’t be long, she’s on her way back from the hospital now.”  
  
“Oh no!” Hanayo gasped, taking a step back, “Is she okay?!?”  
  
Nadeshiko paused, turning back and explained, “Oh no… Maki is fine. She has been tending to some responsibilities at Nishikino General, the hospital our family runs. She’s to inherit that responsibility, so she is already in training.”  
  
“Oh. Right,” Hanayo retreated as her blush dial cranked ever higher.  
  
“I hope she takes her time. I’d love to talk to you a little, if you wouldn’t mind… but first, tea.”  
  
“Not a problem at all!” Hanayo demurred, watching the older woman disappear and leaving her in the sitting room. The desire to look around was strong, but ultimately overpowered by the anxiety of being caught… so she sat and looked at what was visible from the couch.  
  
The first thing she realized was that not a single one of the placards or trophies bore Maki’s name, and no pictures of the family were to be found. These were recognitions of excellence for the hospital and the independant achievements of her parents. Both of them. Apparently, they are both surgeons. The books were all medical reference texts that seemed to be there entirely for decorative purposes, given their age.  
  
This wasn’t a room that was likely used very often.  
  
It felt lonely.  
  
“Here we are,” Maki’s mother announced with an entertainment tray, “I hope you don’t mind earl grey.”  
  
“That sounds lovely, though you didn’t need to go to the trouble on my account,” Hanayo demurred again, continuing to lean heavily on proper etiquette as a backup to the unexpected. All praise to “The Social Script,” Saint of the unprepared.  
  
“So polite,” Nadeshiko commented with a smile and poured Hanayo’s first cup for her, leaving room for accompaniments if needed, “So, what brings you to visit this evening?”  
  
Deep breath in, long breath out, “Maki-chan accidentally left her planner behind and I didn’t want her to worry about it.”  
  
Nadeshiko blinked as she pour a cup of her own, “You must have come a long way for such a small thing. That’s very kind of you.”  
  
“N-not at all… I live not too far from here.”  
  
“Really? Well that’s good to hear. I worried that having her attend a high school so far away would prevent her from having friends her age.”  
  
The woman sat in the chair across from her and blew on her tea, “Two friends in one week. She has certainly opened up at Otonokizaka.”  
  
A topic she could talk about! “Oh, you’ve met Nico-chan then?”  
  
“Oh, you know her as well? Yes, she recently spent the night. I must say, I appreciate the tight knit nature of your school. I didn’t really associate with anyone outside of my year during my high school days!”  
  
“There is definitely a sense of community,” Hanayo agreed, taking a break to test-sip for heat, “Our entire class, save Maki-chan, are alumni of the Otonokizaka grade school.”  
  
“That must help quite a bit. I’m relieved that she is settling in so well.”  
  
“She’s actually our class representative and somewhat of a celebrity already.”  
  
“Oh? Oh, I’m sure that irritates her to no end,” Nadeshiko laughed sympathetically, “Her grade school classmates pushed that responsibility onto her as well. Let me guess, she protested?”  
  
Hanayo matched Nadeshiko’s smile, “She tries to pass the job on to Hanna-chan, our grade school class representative, every day.”  
  
Nadeshiko laughed openly for the first time, though the teacup remained remarkably still, “Oh… oh my poor girl. How fun it would be to be a fly on the wall for that…”  
  
Maki’s mother was… nothing like she’d expected, especially given the surroundings, “She endures it well.”  
  
“I’m sure she does. My little girl is very strong. Are you close?”  
  
After a deeper sip, Hanayo felt the desire to be honest and replied, “It’s a work in progress. I’d like to think we’re both slowly working toward that.”  
  
The woman’s smile more fully reflected in her eyes as she replied, “Well, you’re welcome anytime. Your insight into my daughter’s life is very appreciated.”  
  
A tone echoed from the front of the house, bringing Nadeshiko to her feet, “I imagine that would be Maki. We’ll keep this conversation our little secret, alright? I don’t want to fluster the poor girl.”  
  
“I can do that,” Hanayo agreed, feeling slightly guilty for doing so, “Thank you for the tea.”  
  
Hanayo could hear the front entrance open as Maki’s mother reached the door. She sent a wink her way before walking out to the hallway where she could hear Maki’s voice call out. Time for the main event, even though the pre-show had been far more of an ordeal than expected. She reached into her bag, placed the planner at her side, and hoped that this wasn’t all going to have been a big mistake.  
  
“It’s you,” Maki said as she appeared in the doorway.  
  
“H-hello,” was all she found herself able to manage.  
  
Her passive expression carrying just the slightest tinge of confusion, Maki entered the room and took to the chair across from her, “What are you doing here?”  
  
Oh… that didn’t sound very promising.  
  
“Sorry,” Maki continued, shaking her head, “That came out wrong… but… what _are_ you doing here?”  
  
The confusion turned to what Hanayo would describe as self-directed irritation, which suddenly made even more of the redhead click for her. Despite Maki sitting mostly still, having the previous conversation had stilled her nerves enough to be properly observant.  
  
“It’s okay, I know what you mean,” Hanayo placated, the smile coming naturally, “You dropped this. I wanted to return it.”  
  
She reached out with the planner and Maki met her half-way, looking somewhat relieved.  
  
“... I dropped this? Tch… well, I’m glad it was you who found it. That could have been bad.”  
  
“I only looked so far as to see your ID. Promise.”  
  
More relief, “Thank you. I have information in here that isn’t entirely my own… and quite a few more personal things.”  
  
“Things involving µ's maybe?” Hanayo asked, remembering her fire from earlier.  
  
“Huh? How did you know?” Maki blurted before wincing and muttering, “... dammit,” to herself.  
  
“It’s okay! You dropped it over by the µ's recruitment flyers,” Hanayo continued, steeling herself and taking the dive, “I actually came with another thing in mind.”  
  
Wide eyes, wider than to be expected, was Maki’s response.  
  
“I came to support you joining µ's.”  
  
Wider still. Terminal wideness. Frozen in mid-crouch to return to her seat, “Huh?”  
  
“I think Maki-chan should become a school idol. Absolutely.”  
  
“Huh!?” the taller girl replied again, straightening up and simultaneously trying to muscle-memory slide her planner into a blazer pocket that wasn’t there… because she wasn’t wearing her blazer anymore. The planner slid down her front and she tried to catch it, but it quickly fell past her reach, down to her leg. She raised that leg to try and hackey-sack it back up. Unfortunately, she was mid-twist from trying to stand, and while she did successfully boot the planner into the air, it went higher than expected and was fumbled three times as she fell backwards, knocking the chair behind her over with wail and a slam.  
  
The planner landed directly on what Hanayo could only guess was her face, given the noise of embarrassed indignation that Maki let out after it disappeared behind the upended chair and sprawled legs.  
  
Hanayo could have sworn she heard Maki’s mother laughing from the hallway.  
  
“Are… you okay?”  
  
Maki remained surprisingly still for a breath before replying, “Yeah. I’m good. This is fine. This is how I always sit around the house. Don’t mind me.”  
  
Hanayo couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. She didn’t even feel guilty about it, particularly after Maki’s face popped up from behind the couch, the  planner still on her head, and Hanayo could see she was smiling. Really embarrassed, but comfortable enough with her to smile.  
  
“So. Uh. Yeah. Pardon me for a moment,” Maki asked as she clamored to her feet and began to return the seat to its previous position, “What about this makes you think I could be a school idol?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Hanayo asked through her remaining giggles.  
  
“This isn’t really an isolated incident,” Maki gestured with a wry smile, “I happen to like the members of µ's and I’d like them to survive the year. There’s no way I’m going to inflict this on them.”  
  
This was a good face. This was a wonderful moment. This… this must be the real Nishikino Maki that Nico-chan had confessed such affection for. Even more of Hanayo’s apprehension dissolved as she argued, “It couldn’t be all that bad.”  
  
Having straightened out the creases in the chair’s fabric, Maki raised her eyebrows and replied, “Oh yeah?”  
  
She then raised her skirt high enough on her right to reveal a newly forming bruise high up the outside of her thigh, “Clipped a mailbox on the way home,” pulled her left sleeve higher to show more matured bruising on her forearm, “Cracked my arm on the shoe lockers this morning,” and unbuttoned the top of her blouse to show off a fairly large fading one spreading across her shoulder, “Door frame earlier this week. There’s no way I could dance on stage with them.”  
  
There were other bruises. Marks that… couldn’t be what Hanayo thought they were. Several of them. She’d managed to school her expression enough to play it cool, but… it took her an extra moment to focus away from them to reply, “But Maki-chan’s singing is so pretty…”  
  
Maki rebuttoned while levying a confused look her way, “I beg your pardon?”  
  
“I… sometimes pass by the music room after school to listen. Your voice is so pretty… and your playing is so wonderful…”  
  
Hanayo let the words drift when she realized how embarrassed Maki appeared. She didn’t just look embarrassed, she looked absolutely mortified. The expression quickly passed into a tired sort of defeat and the slouching redhead groaned, “Thanks.”  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
Maki rubbed at her eyes and straightened her back, “It’s been a long day. Complications at the hospital, playing catch up on classes… I guess I just wasn’t prepared to find out even more people were spying on me. No, sorry, not spying, just… listening in. I shouldn’t have assumed it was a private space.”  
  
Concerned, Hanayo ventured an, “I’m sorry?”  
  
“It’s my fault, don’t worry about it,” Maki waved off, “Regardless, even if I did want to join, My schedule’s just too full. I’m supporting them in my own way. Actually, I’m surprised you haven’t joined.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
Maki seemed to regain her composure and leaned in, “Anyone who can talk about idols on Nico-chan’s level must be very personally invested. While I don’t know how well you can sing, your voice is pretty and I’m sure you could train it into shape.”  
  
“Why don’t you join?”  
  
Eh!?!?

 

**Yazawa Nico  9:38 PM**

 

The clatter of cascading tokens from the chance machines upstairs pulled Nico’s attention from the row of fighting game consoles in front of her. There was only so much fun in watching other people play and it was getting late.  
  
Maki hadn’t texted her yet since she left for the hospital.  
  
It worried Nico just how much she cared about that. How much time she’d spent worried that something had happened to her incredibly clumsy and frequently sleep-deprived girlfriend. Sure, she’d had a few good nights rest (that she claimed was rare), and yeah it’s not like this was a dangerous neighborhood… or that there even WAS a dangerous neighborhood in Tokyo, comparatively speaking.  
  
Still.  
  
Given how desperately they’d been clinging to each other’s company since this all started, the distance was really, deeply uncomfortable.  
  
Nico gave up on the arcade, stretching and meandering out onto the main drag. Many of the stores had already closed up and the late night curiosities were taking over the street. There was a slight urge to hop on the train to Ikebukuro and go tease the host club boys lounging outside that were looking for marks way out of her age range. They were a pain, but damn were they nice to look at. Too few clubs in Japan rocked the boy band look as hard as the specimens at Valkyrie… but there’s no way Sho would be working tonight and he was the one she liked picking on the most.  
  
Besides, if she was going to get herself worked up, she already had a much better, more viable option.  
  
Maybe she should reach out first. Seriously. Screw “looking cool”. They blazed right on past that stage along with “uhh, can I… can I hold your hand?” and “Ah! An indirect kiss!” Tension over simple things like this shouldn’t even cross their minds… right?  
  
It should be fine to admit that she missed her.  
  
Because… she really, really missed her.  
  
So, swipe swipe tappity tap~  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Hey pretty girl. Is it just me or has it been a month since we talked?  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Because it feels like it’s been forever.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** I figured it’d be safe to message you this late.  
  
Nico held still as the ellipses appeared. She was responding. Right now. This was easily her favorite feature of the app.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Where are you?  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Right now, putzing outside the Sega on the main, staring at Cafe Moco and wishing I had someone to get a drink with… if it was still open.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Where are you?  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** On my way.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I can’t be here right now.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Can I meet you somewhere?  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Please?  
  
Nico’s eyes went wide as the entire world narrowed down to those four simple lines. The levity of the evening vanished completely as she tapped in a quick, “Start your commute to school. I’ll meet you on the way,” and took off.  
  
Grateful that she’d followed through with the decision to change into more casual clothing (and more comfortable shoes), Nico blazed past two blocks before rounding a left, focusing on breathing and mentally plotting out the most efficient way to connect her current path to the route they’d taken just this morning.  
  
Before long, Nico had to slow her pace. Her cardio just wasn’t up for sprinting the entire distance. Conveniently enough, this coincided with her phone buzzing again.

 **terrible.tomato.roll:** Had to dodge a patrol.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** If Officer Nakamura spotted me at this hour he’d be chasing me all night.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Taking a roundabout way toward Kanda Myojin.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Meet me at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Thank you so much.  
  
Fortunately, this didn’t change her route... but that meant that Maki must really be booking it. Outside of the surprising amount of upper body strength she’d shown, Maki didn’t come off as very athletic, so Nico’s concern only deepened.  
  
Soon enough, she arrived at the stairs leading to the rear entrance of the shrine’s office. Knowing how much further Maki had to travel let her take it at a slower pace, so she wasn’t completely winded as she paced and listened for anyone running. At this time on a weeknight, there was almost no one passing through here, so there was little apprehension about loitering on the stairs… though it felt a little strange since she hadn’t come to Kanda two days in a row in years.  
  
Nico opened up her phone to check the boards for idol news to steady her nerves, but instead ended up flipping through pictures taken over the past couple days. Either way, she needed to be calm. Steady. The person in these pictures needed her. Cotaro had asked when she’d be back. Cocoa asked if she was feeling any better. Cocoro wanted her help with homework again. Mama was… Mama was unbelievably supportive, in spite of the circumstances. There’s no way it was normal to be this invested this quickly.  
  
The picture of Maki struggling with the xylophone with Cotaro clinging to her side and Cocoa painting her toenails was hard to focus on with her hands shaking like this. Waiting was terrible. Waiting without knowing how long you would be waiting was even worse. Add the unknown emergency?  
  
Ugh.  
  
The worst.  
  
Still, Nico would wait. She didn’t really have much other choice. It couldn’t be helped.  
  
Three people came and went before Maki appeared at the top of the stairs, haggard and stumbling. Leaning hard on the railing while gasping for air, her eyes locked to Nico’s. What the hell happened that provoked her this hard? She almost hadn’t recognized her, given the hoodie pulled up over her hair.  
  
“Nico-chan…”  
  
It was well past dark and the overhead lighting only cast Maki’s face into shadow. What little Nico could make out only showed Maki’s usual passive face, if a little tight around the edges of her mouth. Most of her expressions seemed to rely on her eyes and brows, so…  
  
“Are you okay?” Nico offered, subtly opening her arms to offer a hug.  
  
Without a word, Maki took Nico by the hand and marched away from the stairs, around a corner, down an alley that was lined by cars and pulled her into a residential building’s outdoor stairwell. Nico let herself be led, which in itself always felt weird, but she was too worried to protest.  
  
Maki stopped once they reached the stairwell and turned, moistening her lips and fidgeting. She tried twice to start talking, but seemed to get held up by something… so Nico took the initiative and reached up, sliding her hood back.  
  
“Take your time, Maki-chan. I’m not going anywhere. Do you need to sit down?”  
  
Maki kept looking around and clearly trying to scrunch back tears, so Nico took the lead again. She took hold of Maki’s hand and sat on the stairs, pulling her down so she would do the same. Maki alternated from staring at Nico’s hand holding her’s and closing her eyes and shaking her head.  
  
“Come on. Here,” Nico offered, leading the younger girl’s head to her shoulder. Maki accepted and looped an arm around her.  
  
“I hate this…”  
  
“This?” Nico asked, squeezing the girl a little tighter, “Do you want me to move away?”  
  
Maki almost violently tightened her grip, starting to throw her other arm around Nico as well but stopping about half way, “No… not you. I just… *sniff* Hrnnn...”  
  
“Maki-chan?” Nico ventured, probing cautiously as the girl struggled not to cry.  
  
“Things went… *sniff* Things went bad at the hospital.”  
  
Nico waited, so Maki continued, “I mean, it started off fine. Great even… but I overheard some things. Bad things. About Grandmother... “  
  
Nico rubbed small slow circles over Maki’s back as the other gir’s grip tightened on her hand, “I wasn’t supposed to hear, but… I did. Not too long after, she started to… go… a little. Sometimes that happens. She just kind of goes away… only this time she got really mad about it.”  
  
Maki’s cheeks were completely soaked with tears as she continued, “She didn’t recognize me, then she thought I was Mama, then she just started ranting. About the family, about Papa… and about me.  
  
“I’m here. You can tell me as much as you want,” Nico offered despite feeling waaaay out of her depth. This was a different kind of freefall.  
  
Maki just sat and stared at her knees, leaning into Nico and sniffing occasionally. Finally, she closed her eyes, bit her lip, sniffed extra long and exhaled, “I just… I’m really glad you’re here right now. I didn’t really get to process it all until later. There was company at home and then Papa got in and… well… he wanted to talk about what I heard.”  
  
Maki leaned in with what must have been her full weight. She pulled Nico’s hand up to her lips and then her eyes, using it to wipe off her cheeks. Nico found this… almost overwhelmingly intimate. She fiddled with her hand, splaying her fingers and kissing in between. The action seemed to calm her, so… Nico just watched as she worked through her thoughts.  
  
“Goichi’s family is trying to supercede the line of succession. Again. Grandmother is getting worse. So they think they have enough pull to redirect to her younger sister. Great aunt Sana doesn’t want anything to do with it, but Uncle Soujiro is apparently pushing really hard.”  
  
Maki brushed her eyes again with Nico’s hand and nuzzled it with her cheek as she continued, “Everytime this comes up, Mama gets really upset and that gets Papa really angry. He gets… pretty loud.”  
  
Another deep breath and her voice steadied further, almost going completely flat, “A lot of Uncle Soujiro’s argument relies on comparisons between Goichi and me. Most of the family wants more focus on expanding the name into more diversified aspects of the medical field. The main house has remained dedicated to the hospital and community outreach. Goichi, as awful as he is, is a businessman.”  
  
Maki finally turned to meet Nico’s eyes. She seemed to have passed from struggling with tears to simply looking tired. She leaned in to touch her forehead to Nico’s and continued, “... and I’m just a ‘stupid girl’ that seems more interested in music than the hospital anyway.”  
  
Nico glared, frustrated regardless of whether it was self deprecation she was hearing or some crusty old jerkwad’s opinion. She was about to say as much, but Maki continued, “... and he’s right. Papa knows it. Mama suspects. I want to help people. Be like they are. Save lives… but… music just makes me so happy.”  
  
“So… maybe this would be a good thing?” Nico offered, “It would take a lot of responsibility off your shoulders.”  
  
Maki shook her head, “I’m pretty sure that would destroy Mama… and while my parents did marry for love, Papa’s family was very invested in marrying into the main house’s line. There’s a lot of pressure on him because of that. They’ve done so much for me already… and they’re my parents. I’ve been lucky so far, but… if Papa told me to give up music for my studies…”  
  
“No way…” Nico whispered involuntarily, “There’s no way they’d ask you to do that. That would be so wrong…”  
  
“He’s tried a few times already, but Mama and Grandmother insisted I keep with it. Grandmother… isn’t really involved anymore, and Mama is starting to feel the pressure too. He mentioned it again before they went back to the hospital,” Maki all but whispered in reply, “I mean… we have an agreement. If it doesn’t interfere with my grades I can keep practicing. Not sleeping much really helps with that most of the time…”  
  
Maki let go of Nico’s hand to pull her into a hug, turning to drape her legs across Nico’s lap, “I was kind of freaking out when you messaged me… so… good timing.”  
  
“Anytime,” Nico promised, “You can reach out to me too, you know? If I knew, I woulda been waiting right outside as soon as they left.”  
  
Nico could feel Maki smile into her neck and sigh before replying, “I believe you would. I do. I… guess I just need to get used to having someone like you on my side.”  
  
Sympathy and affection swirled through Nico’s chest. The girl was literally sitting on her lap and Nico felt it wasn’t close enough. She reached up to play with her hair… she seemed to really like that. Her heart ached way harder than it should have. There was heated, fierce protectiveness and a tremendous need to… to do something. She felt so helpless right now and she hated it.  
  
“Do you need me to come back with you?” Nico offered, “Do you want to come home with me?”  
  
The question hung in the air. Maki practically melted onto her as Nico continued to idly trace circles. She felt Maki reciprocate on her back. That was a good sign.  
  
“Please,” Maki breathed.  
  
“Your place or mine, pretty girl?”  
  
“I like that one…”  
  
“Yeah, well I like you,” Nico encouraged at a more regular volume, “Come on, sweetness. It’s getting late. What’re we doing?”  
  
Maki pulled away. She was finally smiling, though still looking worn out, “That’s not bad either. Should I be coming up with fun things to call you?”  
  
“You call Nico anything, anytime, pretty girl,” Nico winked while sighing internally with relief that just being herself seemed to do the trick. There wasn’t anything she could say to fix something like that. Not even close.  
  
Nico started worrying for a moment as Maki suddenly looked like she was going to cry again, but then she noticed the smile. After a sigh, she asked, “Are you sure it’d be okay? If you came back with me?”  
  
“I’d just need to swing by the station to pick up my bag from the locker. Oh, and get a bath. Some Cutiesaurus just leaked all over me.”

  
“Pfft! Right,” Maki pffted, “I think I can swing that.”  
  
“Oh, I know how you swing,” Nico assured, standing and offering a hand.  
  
Maki accepted, “I’ll take a swing at you if you keep that up.”  
  
“Ha, I knew you wanted to hit this,” Nico smirked, fanning herself.  
  
Maki giggled and bumped against her as they left the stairwell, “You’re terrible.”  
  
Nico gasped, covering her mouth, “Nico? Terrible?!”  
  
Maki reached out and lightly bapped her hair before claiming one of the hands to walk with, “Come on. Let’s go get to the station.”  
  
“Oh, did Nico get your attention now? Is Maki-chan in a hurry to take me home~?” Nico teased before looking ahead and stopping short, surprising her partner.  
  
“Eh? What’s wrong?” Maki asked, before following Nico’s gaze.  
  
Nico felt about as much shock as Nozomi was showing as they’d rounded the corner. At her side, she heard Maki greet, “Oh, Toujou-senpai. Good evening.” She hadn’t let go of her hand.  
  
“Good evening Maki-chan. Nicocchi. This is a pleasant surprise… going my way?”

  


**Ayase Eli 10:30 PM**

 

  
“I’m home~” Nozomi called from the front door, stopping short at seeing the lights on. Her tone had been one of tired obligatory rote… and the look of surprise was just delightful.  
  
“Welcome home,” Eli greeted, fully rounding the corner to reveal a bowl of ice cream and two spoons, “It’s about time! I was starting to worry you finally got spirited away.”  
  
“Don’t kid about that, Elicchi!” Nozomi chided with a smile. Another treasure, “... and I should probably make dinner before we dig into that.”  
  
“Already done,” Eli shrugged, “I thought you might want to start with dessert.”  
  
“... and another bowl after I’m guessing?”  
  
“We have to keep our strength up somehow, don’t we?”  
  
Just like that, whatever seemed to be weighing her down was gone. Her shoes were off, her bag set aside, her eyes busy assessing what was still needed to start dinner. Eli felt pretty certain that she remembered everything this time.  
  
“You should have told me you were coming over tonight, Elicchi. I wouldn’t have kept you waiting so long. The tea hasn’t gone too cold, has it?”  
  
“It just finished steeping, now sit. Eat. Tell me about your day. I’m hungry too.”  
  
Sometimes you had to be a little forceful with Nozomi. There was always a thrill when you could get her to follow directions, but the real treat was how amused she’d get when you’d try.  
  
“You know, Elicchi. Ice cream three times in one day feels excessive. Are you trying to butter me up for something?” she asked lightly while sitting. Then she saw what was waiting for her. Her voice dropped as low as it could and she crowed, “Oh, yeah. You’re definitely up to something.”  
  
“I’ve been paying attention. I don’t know why you’ve been holding back so much lately, but tonight you eat steak,” Eli commanded. Nozomi probably would have replied, but she’d already itadakimasu’d and had started in on the potatoes and was cutting up her first bite.  
  
“Right. Well. You know how to make a girl feel appreciated,” Eli laughed, rounding her way to her seat after pouring Nozomi a cup.  
  
Nozomi’s response was a nonverbal and completely satisfied groan. She chewed, she cut her next bite, and she nodded while commenting, “That’s my line. This is wonderful.”  
  
“I’m sure you’ve earned it today,” Eli assured, crushing a lemon slice over her vegetables before raking them through her potatoes, “When you come up for air, tell me about your favorite guest of the day.”  
  
Another non-verbal reply. Overstuffed cheeks, a wide smile, and a muffled, close-mouthed laugh. Eli couldn’t help but crack up at the sight. Fork in, steak divided, first bite, gratutious sigh. No small relief that it turned out as well as it did.  
  
“I saw Nicocchi on the way home.”  
  
Blink. Nozomi was already back to wolfing with abandon. “Really? Wasn’t she at the shrine yesterday?”  
  
“Mmhmm,” Nozomi chewed, swallowed, and replied, “Yes, but she wasn’t at the shrine. She was wandering around back at the bottom of the stairs… with Nishikino Maki.”  
  
“What? Really?” Eli asked, pausing before taking another bite, “I guess they hit it off after that thing at the concert.”  
  
As Eli savored her hard work, Nozomi resettled in her chair to lean forward, “Oh… I’d say so.”  
  
Eli stopped chewing. That… that was a very baited phrase. She swallowed, “Is that right? Are they today’s story?”  
  
“I’m not at liberty to say much,” Nozomi replied breezily, “But… I can say two things.”  
  
She took another bite.  
  
“I know you’re not going to make me tell you to eat your vegetables,” Eli teased flatly.  
  
Nozomi winked and scooped up more potatoes.  
  
“Tch. You brat.”  
  
“One, the cards have a lot to say about those two.”  
  
“Nice redirect. You’ve been doing readings on Nico since we met her. What put Nishikino on your radar?”  
  
“What hasn’t?” Nozomi replied plainly, “She’s surrounded by so much energy. I’m surprised you couldn’t tell, Elicchi.”  
  
“I’ve been distracted?”  
  
“Or you haven’t been paying attention.”  
  
“Does thing number two have anything to do with Nishikino’s power levels?” Eli asked ironically.  
  
It drove Nozomi nuts when she refered to spiritual power as “power levels.” She hid it pretty well this time though. Barely an eyebrow twitch.  
  
“No, but it’s equally as interesting.”  
  
“You have my attention.”  
  
Nozomi popped more steak down the hatch. Eli matched with potato smothered vegetables.  
  
“They were holding hands.”  
  
“... No way. Nico? J-rock fangirl, K-pop devotee, Nico?”  
  
“She likes idols too, Elicchi, most of all,” Nozomi reminded, twirl-pointing her fork Eli’s way, “I told you I could get her worked up in more ways than one.”  
  
“You sure she wasn’t just leading her around? Maybe just as friends?”  
  
“I can tell how friends walk together, Elicchi. I somehow doubt I’m reading into it too much.”  
  
Nico. Their little lonely Nico found someone. A first year. Damn.  
  
“We can’t tell anyone,” Eli decided.  
  
“Naturally.”  
  
“I mean it. The rest of the class would be terrible to her if they knew.”  
  
“I know,” Nozomi assured.  
  
“Does she?”  
  
“I’d say so. She’s all but begged me not to tell anyone.”  
  
“You told me.”  
  
“You’re not just anyone, Elicchi. You’re her friend too… and you can keep a secret.”  
  
“Is it a secret that I’m keeping this secret?”  
  
“Yup~” Nozomi almost chirped, “You know how it goes.”  
  
“Nico… Nico and Nishikino… Wow. How did that even happen?”  
  
“I’m sure she’ll tell us when she’s ready. For now, let’s just help her keep her secret.”  
  
They fell into the companionable silence of silverwear clinking against plates and satisfied sighs. Nozomi’s plate was nearly cleared by the time she spoke up again, “You’re going to make someone very happy someday with cooking like that, Elicchi.”  
  
“Oh? You’re not happy now?”  
  
Nozomi smiled and looked away. Another victory.

  


**Nishikino Maki 11:45 PM**

  
  
This was another new thing. Wonderful, in part, because of the entire lack of excitement surrounding it.  
  
She was doing homework. Her reading was caught up, she only had two sheets left to plow through, and she had managed it all while Nico lounged on her bed with her noise cancellation headphones.  
  
The girl had wanted to catch up on the music that Maki liked best. A “Nishikino Greatest Hits” mix tape. It was satisfying, really, to see how much she seemed to be enjoying herself. It also spoke volumes that part of her motivation was to be there without being distracting.  
  
Nico, it seemed, was getting skilled at handling Maki. Sure she indulged her a bit after first getting in, but she’d quickly put on the breaks after finding out that Maki had homework. Plenty to get her out of her funk, but not so much that she’d fall back into the self-perpetuating cycle of affection/recover/affection that the last visit had been directed by.  
  
Being out-responsibilty’ed was a little embarrassing.  
  
“Hey,” Nico chided, “Are you done over there? I could go downstairs if I’m getting in the way.”  
  
“Almost done,” Maki waved off, but Nico’s wide-eyed cheesy grin and pointing to the headset reminded her that her protesting was moot. Nico couldn’t hear her anyway.  
  
“Tch,” Maki grimaced as she turned back around, “Being handled sucks.”  
  
But it didn’t. Not really. Knowing that Nico was a third year reduced the bite just a little. Pair that with her cute-allowance, partner pardons, and ‘as-much-as-I’ll-never-admit-it-she’s-right’ points and the whole thing zero-sums out to it being for her own good.  
  
Really, the annoyance came from not being able to watch Nico’s reactions to the playlist. These were some of the most important songs on the planet. This was crucial insight to Maki’s innermost character. That playlist was like… like Sonoda’s notebook, only for her… and written by other people.  
  
It was important, okay!?  
  
It was important and so were Nico’s reactions! When Maki had first turned to look, Nico had looked really sad. How quickly she’d lit up and redirected Maki around to get her back to work would have been remarkable, if it hadn’t been so concerning.  
  
Nico looking sad was really hard to handle.  
  
Turn-about was fair play, Maki supposed. Nico certainly had handled a lot of her being sad lately.  
  
She did a damn good job of it, too.  
  
A few hours ago the entire world was ending. Now? She was calm, being productive, and mostly just feeling affectionate. If her parents were to come home right now? She felt confident she’d be able to hug them and assure that things would be alright. Things would work out.  
  
She knew nothing had really changed. That's the really wild thing. She felt this much better despite nothing being resolved. All because of a few encouraging words, some redirection, and being given a task.  
  
  
More than ever, Maki believed in Nico’s idol power…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
\--------------  
  
Merry Christmas. Not the content I'd aimed for, again, but it's what I got done~  
  
Now I gotta go wrap up this You Watanabe pic for the Idol Tomodachi Secret Santa xD  
  
Also, went back and re-read the whole shebang. Good grief there's a lot of typos and grammar issues. I really thought I was doing a decent job, but I should really consider having someone else take a look at these before posting them.


	11. The Idol Research Club Registry

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
“Today’s the day,” Nico began, looping her second ribbon in place. At her side by the bathroom counter was Maki who was busy touching up her concealer.   
  
“Kousaka?” Maki returned unnecessarily. She knew. They’d talked about it a little last night… after she’d tried (unsuccessfully) to wring every opinion Nico had about the music share without asking directly. Not the most effective method.   
  
“Yup. I think I’ve got it all figured out.”   
  
Maki swapped for eyeliner and took a moment to meet Nico’s eyes in the mirror, “Are you going to be able to handle them on your own?”   
  
“Pfft. Look at you trying to be helpful,” Nico grinned, mussing Maki’s just-finished hair, “Don’t worry. Nico’s a big girl. She can handle some cute energetic second year.”   
  
As Maki batted her hair back into place, frowning at the girl in annoyance, Nico turned and bounced up onto the sink. She watched Maki fine tune her lashes, making her feel a little self-conscious, but mostly appreciative of the attention. It was hard, but she managed to keep at it and not just stare back.   
  
“If this goes like I hope, we’ll have even less time alone than usual…” Nico began, “I’m not looking forward to that part…”   
  
The regret in her voice fueled Maki’s smile, slight as it was, “It’s a little early in the relationship to have established a ‘usual’, don’t you think? We’ll make it work.”   
  
“Pretty confident for a secret idol affair, aren’t you?”   
  
Twitch.   
  
Maki capped the eyeliner briskly, laid the tube down with a sharp clack, and pulled up her lip gloss. By the time she finally looked up to Nico, the actions had filled her with the appropriate levels of apprehension. She tapped the gloss on the counter and pursed her lips, playing up the glare/scowl combo. Finally she leaned in close to reply, “This ‘affair’ is your songwriter. Interaction in the open would only be natural... and I don’t think I like the sound of that.”   
  
“What? Affair?” Nico asked, full on Nico-in-Headlights expression in place.   
  
“Yes. It makes all of this sound… illicit. Scandalous?” Maki replied, twirling a finger for each. She swiped the gloss agitatedly and finished, “Short lived.”   
  
Nico leaned away, expression sheepish, “Jeez Maki-chan, I was just kidding. Bad connotation. I get it.”   
  
Maki pulled Nico by the hips to the edge of the counter, keeping eye contact as the older girl’s knees slid past her sides, “Good.” After a moment of eye contact, Maki leaned up and laid a chaste kiss on the still confused girl before pulling away and continuing, “Besides, for now  _ you’re _ the affair. Let’s work on getting you famous so you can get away with cracks like that.”   
  
Nico giggled as Maki turned, “I forgot, Maki-chan’s such a celebrity~”   
  
Maki waved off on her way to the door, “Yeah… and it sucks. I’m sure you’ll handle it way better.”   
  
“You just gotta learn how to strut, baby~” Nico boasted, bouncing off the counter and looping an arm around Maki’s, “... and a good start would be getting you on a more regular sleep schedule.”   
  
“It’s your fault,” Maki teased, tightening her hold on Nico’s arm, “What do you think kept me up all night?”   
  
“Maki-chan must have been captivated by Nico’s beauty, because this girl?” Nico replied, pointing to herself, “She be sleepin’. What? Was Maki-chan creepin’?”   
  
“Pfft. It’s not ‘creeping’ if you’re in a happy relationship. It’s called romantic if I spend hours watching you sleep.”   
  
“Not if you say it that way!” Nico laughed before lowering her voice to start their trek to the kitchen, “Now, say, if Maki-chan were to confess that she couldn’t look away because her heart couldn’t bear closing her eyes and not looking upon her beloved~ Her land and her sky, her heaven on Earth, her happy thought that makes her heart fly… then it’s romantic. ‘Watching you sleep,’ is totally creepy.”   
  
Maki felt a bit of pride for not losing her composure. That level of sap was not all that far off from the intensity of last night’s feelings… but hearing it put that way was still embarrassing. She wasn’t THAT tired. Instead of succumbing to the threatened blush, Maki put on her best ‘wide-eyed innocent’ face and followed up with a shy-look-away-paired-with-hair-twirl, “But… wouldn’t you be embarrassed if I said something like that?”   
  
If there was one thing Maki prided herself on, it was being a quick study. Nico’s unbelievable control over her expressions had quickly topped Maki’s chart of ‘Things I’m Envious Of.’ She knew she had a ways to go, but if Nico’s current face was honest, she’d just scored some serious points. It wasn’t the kind of mood she wanted to leave things off on though. So much deep affection and memories of last night would be too distracting… so she followed up with a straight-faced, “Besides, I said this is a ‘happy relationship’ didn’t I? Don’t focus so much on the negatives.”   
  
“You did… and you are, aren’t you? Happy. With this.”   
  
They rounded at the bottom of the stairs, making their way to the kitchen as Maki answered slowly to drive the point home, “You literally ran to my rescue yesterday and turned the evening from ‘end of the world’ to ‘quiet night in’. Yes. I’m happy. With you. Insecure much?”   
  
At this, the older girl pouted, “Hey! I bet if you actually slept, you’d be the clingy whimpery type. ‘Oh! Nico-chan~ please hold me~ I’m so lonely~’”   
  
Maki snorted and shoved Nico into the kitchen, “Tch. Come on, let’s get moving. I don’t want to wake up Mama and Papa.”   
  
Nico skipped over to the fruit basket, plucking a few for the road and replying, “Let me tell you, I was so relieved the first time I heard you call them that.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“The last time someone heard me call Mama, Mama, they gave me so much crap.”   
  
“Well, what else are you supposed to call them?”   
  
“Kaa-san? Okaa-san?”   
  
“What’s the difference?”   
  
“Right!?”   
  
Soon after, the two were on their way, fruit-in-bag and hand-in-hand… at least until Maki opened the door and stepped out into a cloud of tobacco smoke.   
  
“Papa!?”   
  
The not-quite-towering form of Kentaro Nishikino leapt nearly a meter from the doorway with a muted, “Shit!” His cigarette went flying off into the yard.   
  
Nico completely failed her reflex check to restrain her snort of laughter, which Maki rushed to cover with, “It’s alright! It’s just me,” and then after a beat to realize what he might be paranoid over, “I won’t tell Mama.”   
  
“... Good morning, Maki,” Papa Nishikino replied looking only mildly embarrassed at the outburst, but not above leaning over to pick up the still smoking cigarette and taking another drag, “... and thanks for that. It’s been a long night and I’m trying to decide if a third shift would be pushing it.”   
  
Affection and pride swelled as Maki replied, “Mama would suggest you take care of yourself. Yesterday was a difficult day.” How could anyone NOT be proud of someone with that work ethic?   
  
“You’re not wrong…” he replied, “I’m guessing this would be your friend from the other day that your mother mentioned? Hanayo? No… that’s not right… have you brought her over before?”   
  
She had enough friends around lately that Papa was mistaking who was who. Weird thing to feel pride over, but here they were. Maki smiled all the same as she introduced, “Actually, this is Nico. Yazawa Nico. She’s a third year at Otonokizaka and she’s been helping me out a lot recently.”   
  
“Pleasure to meet you,” Nico demurred with a confidence that Maki now recognized as her game face, “You’re doing a great job with this one. Your daughter is very impressive Nishikino-san.”   
  
“I wish I could take the credit for that, but Maki’s practically raised herself,” he shrugged, which was the first time Maki had ever heard those words, in that order, come from the man, “I’m happy to hear she has friends looking out for her, particularly after yesterday.”   
  
“I’m happy that she lets me,” Nico assured. Now that Maki really looked, it was clear that Nico was watching Papa very intently.   
  
“I’m sure Nadeshiko already mentioned if you’ve spoken with her before, you’re welcome over anytime. I apologize that we wouldn’t be around terribly often to entertain, but I’m sure our girl has that handled.”   
  
“Oh, it’s all study all the time with Maki-chan,” Nico replied, “I get that she’s gifted and all, but all work and no play…” She seemed to be white-knuckling her bag.   
  
“I imagine it’s helpful for you as well,” Dr. Nishikino replied conversationally, “I can’t imagine it’s easy to get much studying done at home with the family, especially if Cocoro is half as energetic as she is around the office. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. I apologize for not recognizing you… you’ve really grown in the past couple years.”   
  
Nico seemed to relax a little at this, “Cocoro’s calmed down a bit, but Cocoa’s stepped up her game. I might have to take you up on your offer. College exams are just around the corner, after all.”   
  
“As much as I’d love to hear about it, I know you two have quite the commute ahead. I look forward to seeing you around, Nico. Please, give your best to your mother for us.”   
  
“Of course. She’ll be happy that you remembered,” Nico assured.   
  
“Both of you have a good day,” Dr. Nishikino offered, snuffing the stub of his cigarette on the underside of his shoe, “... and uhh...  thank you again for your discretion, Maki.”   
  
Maki shook herself out of her stupor, “Of course, Papa,” and made sure to leave a kiss on his cheek in passing and adding in a lower voice, “Get some rest. Everything’s going to be fine.” She felt a little bad for dropping the gesture on him publicly as he immediately lost his ability to respond, but he needed to know he had support.   
  
The pair then left and walked in silence. The house fell out of sight before Nico seemed to fully relax enough for Maki to give in and ask, “How long have you known Papa?”   
  
“Years,” Nico replied with a shrug, very intentionally keeping her eyes aimed forward, “I mean, I didn’t know for sure he was your Dad until just there, but yeah. He operated on Papa the first time around. When Papa turned down the operation the second time, your Dad told Mama he’d find other ways to help. We haven’t paid for a visit since.”   
  
“Oh…” Maki replied, because really… how do you respond to that?   
  
The silence that followed lasted for nearly a block. After swallowing, Nico continued, “So, I’m a little mind blown right now and for once really uncomfortable with how quiet you’re being. What’re your plans for today?”   
  
“Sorry!” Maki scrambled, also feeling more than a little overwhelmed at the revelation, “Ah… I ah...  I thought I’d try to encourage Kayo-chin a little. She was at my place last night when I got home from helping with Grandmother. She saw me checking out the µ's recruitment flyers and thought I was considering joining.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“She tried encouraging me to join, but really I think she’s the one that wants in.”   
  
“If they want Hanayo, they better prove they’re worthy!” Nico boasted, “Jeez, they’ve got their claws in BOTH of my best girls! … not that it’ll matter soon.”   
  
Maki snorted, “Technically, Honoka got to me first, Nico-chan.”   
  
Nico glared, “Maybe, but I got to you  **_better_ ** , didn’t I?”   
  
“... Obviously.”   
  
“And Hanayo? Obviously that girl’s going to be a part of this. I’ve GOT to have her in the club. Even if she doesn’t perform, she’s like my missing half!”   
  
Maki didn’t feel put off at all by hearing this. It didn’t even occur to her to feel jealous. All she felt was the rush at having an opening to admit, “She has to perform. Have you heard her voice? She has so much potential… plus, she’s ridiculously cute.”   
  
“ **_I KNOW,_ ** ” Nico exploded, “Oh my God, that girl is freaking adorable!”   
  
“Her cheeks. Oh my god,” Maki whined, covering her mouth.   
  
“They’re unreal!” Nico raved, “And she’s always like, this perfect combination of shy and excited…”   
  
“Her voice is like cashmere clouds,” Maki breathed, leaning into Nico, “I want to hear her sing a love song so bad…”   
  
“Oh nooooo,” Nico groaned, clinging to Maki’s arm, “Maki, she’d have me bawling…”   
  
“She might end up being your secret weapon,” Maki advised.   
  
“I have to have her,” Nico decided, “She will be mine. Good idea. You get her ready. Get her excited. Together, we’ll get her to shine as much as she deserves.”   
  
“Got it,” Maki confirmed. After a breath, she continued, “How about Rin?”   
  
“Uh… sh’yeah,” Nico agreed as if it were obvious, “I’d bring her in just to keep Hanayo comfortable, but that girl has some real potential. I only have that one lunch break to go off of, but she was on beat, had zero shame, and had some crazy good energy.”   
  
“That, plus she’s also unfairly cute,” Maki filled in.   
  
Nico stopped mid-gesture, confusion slowly shifting to curiosity, “You think she’s cute too, eh? Like, we talkin’ cute cute or hot cute?”   
  
As soon as Nico had stopped moving, Maki felt like she may have screwed up. Obviously Rin was attractive… I mean, just look at her! Athletic, lithe, energetic, and charismatic. But… weren’t you supposed to stop looking at other people when you got into a relationship? At least the fantasizing had stopped, but that didn’t erase the memory of those daydreams or her continued appreciation.   
  
They’ve been open and honest this far… so why stop now? Maki tried to salvage her composure as Nico continued to look more and more amused, “Hot cute. Obviously. She’s got a few of your better qualities, after all.”   
  
Nico giggled and Maki knew she’d dodged whatever pitfall she’d nearly stumbled into. When her girlfriend latched onto her arm, hugged it enthusiastically, and nuzzled her cheek vigorously into her shoulder, she got curious. Happy, but curious.   
  
“You’re the best...” Nico sighed.   
  
  
\-------------------------------

  
Continuing the trend of seeing the two separated, Rin arrived at homeroom without Hanayo. For reasons beyond Maki’s understanding, the usually energetic tomboy was putting all her oomph into glaring angrily across the room. Right at her. When Maki’s phone chirped, it didn’t bring the relief she’d hoped.   
  
**[Cup.Nyamen would like to connect!]**   
  
Another quick glance connected the name to the face as Rin was gripping her phone with both hands and still glaring unabashedly. At least she wanted to keep things civil in the public sense, despite whatever seemed to be bothering her.   
  
She clicked accept and immediately sent off, “ **terrible.tomato.roll:** Good morning. How’d you get my handle?”

**Cup.Nyamen:** What did u do to Kayo-chin!?   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** I got it from Kayo-chin.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** She didnt walk home w me last night or this morning.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** She said she went to your place yesterday.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** What happened?   
  
Now grateful that she muted the phone, Maki tossed an incredulous look Rin’s way, but found only unyielding insistence.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I lost my planner yesterday. She returned it to me, which was very kind of her.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I haven’t seen her this morning, which is a shame because I wanted to thank her again.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** … that’s everything?   
  
Annoyed, Maki started to type out something inflammatory and deeply suggestive, but quickly backspaced, grateful that she wasn’t fast enough at typing on the thing to outpace heat-of-the-moment decisions.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Sorry. I wish I had more to tell you. You look pretty mad. Let me know if anything’s wrong on her end? She’s really nice and I’d want to help her if she needed it.   
  
Watching Rin’s face twist with guilt was beyond satisfying, so she let the message stand alone. She popped back to her Kayo-chin chat and tapped out a quick one.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Your girlfriend is worried about you. I’d recommend a collar. I think she’s looking for a fight.   
  
It took a moment, but Hanayo’s reply popped up.   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Please don’t pick on Rin about that, if you haven’t already.

**ShiroInari.Girl:** She still thinks she’s being subtle.   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Thank you for your suggestion, Maki-chan. (@^ . ~@) I’ll keep that in mind.

The surprises never ended today. Those two really were a couple. Kayo-chin didn’t even try to deny it… and was feeling friendly enough to add cute emotes. Rin’s follow-up just capped off the whole experience.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** You told on me!?!? OMG.   
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** … I’m sorry, Myaki-chan.   
  
Maki made sure to watch Rin until she looked back and smile/wink comboed her acceptance rather than use the messenger. Rin’s blush told her that she definitely came out on top of this interaction.   
  
“Good morning, Nishikino-san.”   
  
“Ah, good morning, Asai.”   
  
The day had barely begun and everything was turning out platinum. She hoped that Nico was having as much success as she was. Maki’s phone vibrated again, receiving a message that surprisingly brightened her day even further.    
  
  
  


**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
“So it really was him,” Nozomi replied.  
  
Nico finished peeling an orange and started picking away at the pith, “Yeah… which… I don’t know if that puts us in an awkward place or not. Like… is there some kind of power imbalance in the relationship here?”  
  
Nozomi accepted Nico’s offered orange segments and asked, “That depends. Does it bother you?”  
  
Nico finished chewing before responding, “I don’t know. Like… technically this means my family is indebted to her’s…”  
  
Nozomi leaned in closer, “... and is this something she’d bring up?”  
  
“Of course not! She’s probably completely oblivious,” Nico flailed, but not before passing Nozomi more orange, “Which makes it kind of worse? I mean, all that aside and now I’m practically taking their daughter?”  
  
Nozomi snorted at this, “Taking? Just how far have you two gone, Nicocchi? Are you planning a wedding?”  
  
Nico dead-eyed Nozomi and chucked another orange slice at her face, “I’m just saying. It feels weird. God, I bet Mama knew this all along.”  
  
“You need a distraction,” Nozomi commented while chewing, “How’s it going with µ's? I can only stall Elicchi on your register for so long, you know.”  
  
“I was wondering what was taking her so long,” Nico stalled as she popped more orange in her mouth.  
  
“She feels bad bothering you about it.”  
  
“That’s fair,” Nico admitted, “Hey, I’ve got an idea. What’re you doing this weekend?”  
  
“Sweeping, restocking, and handling the sales booth for a few hours. Why do you ask? Is Nicocchi finally askin’ me on a date?” Nozomi teased, “I could probably give you some pointers you could use on your first year crush~”  
  
Nico twitched, but only barely, before turning on her own version of Maki’s earlier “shy and innocent” act, covering her cheeks and looking away as she whimpered, “I… I guess you could call it that… oh but that’s so embarrassing!”  
  
“Ooo~ Are we going to Roppongi~? Niccochi’s gotten so bold!”  
  
Nozomi’s defenses were too strong. Nico despaired that without drastic actions like the cheek peck from a few days ago, she’d never get one up on the girl again. She dropped the facade and went with an honest, “I actually don’t know where we’d be going… but I’d like to do some shopping.”  
  
That seemed to pique the taller girl’s curiosity, so Nico didn’t keep her waiting. She leaned back in her seat and stared at the ceiling, “You said that cards choose their people. Nico has no clue where to find magical cards so she can make herself available… so… maybe this is kind of a date thing. I need you to hook me up with a friendly and possibly flirty deck like yours.”  
  
“Oh…” Nozomi replied, wide-eyed, “You were serious about that.”  
  
“I don’t want you getting a complex because your cards keep making passes at Nico,” Nico teased without heat, “There’s more, though.”  
  
“Ah’m listenin’,” Nozomi drawled, leaning closer.  
  
“Maki-chan and I already made plans to spend time together. I’d like to spend some of that with you. Doing this. If you’re cool with that.”  
  
Nozomi looked a little uncomfortable, which was fair. Nico felt wildly uncomfortable. This was so far from the norm that she couldn’t even begin to figure out how to make it sound normal… so she just barreled ahead, “See… I… really do like her. A lot. I want to take up all of her time. Keep her to myself. Hide away where it's just the two of us.”  
  
Nozomi looked like she was going to interrupt any moment, so Nico turned up the boldness and grabbed the other girl’s hand, “That’s not fair to her. She’s incredible. She deserves to have more friends than just me… and as big a pain as you can be, I think you’re one of the best people I know. I… kind of trust you… you know? I want her in on more than just me.”  
  
God, this was embarrassing.  
  
At least Nozomi seemed to be feeling that intensity herself. Nico felt bad about the tears she seemed to be struggling with, but was relieved when Nozomi turned the hand-cover into a hand-hold. Once it looked like she won the battle with whatever internalized struggle she was dealing with, she nodded and breathed in, “Oh… Nicocchi…”  
  
The door opened behind Nico as Nozomi said, “It’s a date, then.”  
  
Naturally, both scrambled, wide-eyed and wiping at their faces, to see who was at the door. Of course it was Eli. Of course she looked completely flat-footed at finding the two hand-in-hand in such an obviously emotionally intense situation… alone in the student council room… which Nico had no real business being in. Obviously she heard what Nozomi said without the benefit of earlier context.  
  
Of. Freaking. Course.  
  
“Good morning,” Eli called out on auto before her expression eased from surprised to stern annoyance, “I hope you’ve here to deliver that register, Nico.”  
  
Crap.  
  
“Register. Right. That was actually my next stop. Should be in by the end of the day. No problem. I’ll just go do that now,” Nico breezed, standing and leaving a thoroughly shell-shocked Nozomi behind.  
  
Each step toward the door was torture. Guilt over giving the couple-in-the-making a new roadblock to work through, irritation about being hounded over that damned nearly empty register, indignation at the universe for it’s sense of comedic timing. All of these simmered until they threatened to burn through her proud facade.  
  
You know what?  
  
Screw it.  
  
“A word, if you wouldn’t mind,” Nico growled, locking eyes with Eli as she approached. While it would have been satisfying to see her flinch, just a little, it was satisfying enough to have Eli’s dominating glare aimed her way and for it to have no effect.  
  
“What can I help you with?” Eli asked once they had rounded the corner into the hallway. Her tone didn’t sound very accomodating.  
  
“Nozomi’s just helping me out with a thing,” Nico whispered, leaning close and intentionally invading the girl’s space, “It’s not a date thing. I wouldn’t do that to either of you.”  
  
Eli’s apparent irritation faded as she wearily protested, “Nico. We’re not li-”  
  
“I know. You’re not like that. I refuse to be the reason for why you’re not because of stupid crap like this. I just wanted to make that clear.”  
  
“Ugh,” Eli groaned, “I know. It’s fine.”  
  
“Good,” Nico relented, smile back in place, “Now go in and get ‘er. Nozomi is all emotionally primed and ready for her belove-PHRMBLM!”  
  
Annoying as it was to get a face-full of Eli palm, that was exactly the reaction she was going for. Tension resolved!  
  
“I get it. Stop. Could you just not?” Eli pleaded while looking around for anyone who may have overheard, “You’ve been relentless about this ever since you and Nishiki-... er… “  
  
Wide eyed, Nico grabbed Eli’s wrist.  
  
Hard.  
  
Tension just went into overtime.  
  
The taller girl recoiled at the glare and suddenly looked genuinely afraid as Nico re-invaded her space and whispered harshly, “Since. _We_. **_What?_** ”  
  
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Nico released her grip and raised both hands in aggravation and rage whispered, “You know what? Nevermind. _Not a word_. We’ll talk about _that_ later… and you let Nozomi know she’s in **_Serious. Trouble._** You better get your smooching in before I get my hands on her.”  
  
With that, Nico turned on her heel and stomped off for the stairs… and then immediately spun around and got back into Eli’s face, “And I _mean it._ ** _Not a word._** This isn’t about me. This is about **her** … and so help me if her life gets screwed up because **_someone_** can’t keep their mouth shut, I _will_ make their lives a living hell, whether I love them or not.”  
  
Without waiting around for Eli’s response, Nico whirled around again and tried to get a handle on her anger. There was way too much to get done right now to focus on this shit, and she was so pissed off right now that she couldn’t tell if she wanted to break down or break something. This was a serious breach of trust. She _specifically_ asked her _not_ to tell Eli.  
  
Later.  
  
They would get theirs later.  
  
Right now, she had to get a handle on herself. She owed the second years a long overdue visit and the time remaining until homeroom was quickly running out.  
  
  


  
  


**Kousaka Honoka**

  
  


“Umi!! Umi Umi Umi Umi!~!~!” Honoka crooned as she latched onto said Sonoda’s arm and snuggled enthusiastically. Things were really taking off now!, “You didn’t tell me you two were already working on a new song! How far along are you? Have you already started figuring out dance steps?”   
  
“Honoka!! I would have told you if there was something to say!” Umi scolded, but did nothing to deter the wiggling. Instead, she looked up to their room’s guest with an apologetic, “I swear, it won’t always be like this.”   
  
“It’s really alright,” their supercute underclassman musician placated, looking a little overwhelmed. Kinda strange how she seemed to constantly flip between being comfortable and confident to her current skittishness. Ah well, Maki would have to get used to things like this if she’s going to roll with the girls of µ's!   
  
“I’m really, very sorry to message you so late in the morning, but if I didn’t act now she’d be like this until lunch,” Umi explained, barely able to rummage through her bag with her free arm.    
  
“Like this? What do you mean ‘like this’?” Honoka grinned, turning up the dial on her ‘embarrass Umi’ objective with cheek-to-cheek nuzzling while waggling her eyebrows at Kotori who was busy stifling laughter into her palm.    
  
“You know exactly what I mean,” Umi whined, craning her neck to get further away, “You are making this very difficult, you know.”   
  
“Found it!” Honoka cheered, snaking a hand past Umi’s and snatching the sought-after journal. Umi got distracted so easily…, “Ta da~”   
  
This was good. This was very, very good. If Umi was already re-loaning the journal out, then their after school get-together must have gone better than she’d hoped! She’d have to bug Kotori later for all the potentially juicy details. In front of Umi of course.    
  
“You did,” Umi sighed at her side, “If she tries anything, Maki, I’ll take care of it.”   
  
“Boo,” Honoka pouted, waving the book in Maki’s direction, “You guys are so touchy.” Regardless, Maki accepted the book. Honoka relinquished it without incident. Umi relaxed a little and everything was fine.   
  
Then the weird third-year from yesterday stormed into the room.   
  
Nico something, looking for all the world like she was here to set up shop and tweet out invitations for ass-kickings. The class was used to a bit of action here and there, but this morning was really turning into something else.   
  
She stopped at Maki’s side (who, in turn, just stared) and took a wide stance, locking eyes with Honoka and creating an entirely new sense of electricity with the sheer confidence of her smile, “Good morning ladies of µ's. Today’s your lucky day. We don’t have long, but can I see you three outside?”   
  
Honoka almost winced when Umi answered, “I’m sorry… but what is this about?” She hadn’t had the chance to tell either of her best friends about yesterday’s bizarre encounter.   
  
“I’ve come to talk about the future of your idol group. We can do this here if you’d like, but I really think the hall would serve better, unless you’d like to play to a crowded room,” the twin-tailed girl offered, arms wide to suggest the class.   
  
Feeling Umi tense in her tell-tale stand-her-ground way, Honoka tightened her own grip and intercepted, “An idol is ready for any crowd, but sure. We’ll take your lead, senpai.” If she let Umi take charge, this wouldn’t go anywhere… and the smaller girl had been so cryptic yesterday that she desperately wanted to know where this was going.   
  
Nico looked suitably pleased by the response, nodding and whirling around to blaze back out the door. Naturally, Honoka rose to follow, Umi watching her warily and Kotori was giving her that look she always did when she took charge. Maki looked completely flat-footed, so Honoka offered a long overdue returned wink, “I’m dying to see what you come up with. Next time you all get together, let me in on it, alright?”   
  
The mystery waiting outside was the only thing saving the underclassman from more in-depth teasing… because now she was on the move. Her two best girls were at her sides. The class’s eyes were on them. The Honoka of last year might feel awkward at the attention, but the girl of that year didn’t have the power to save their school. She and Umi had carried the Kendo team to the championships, but that clearly hadn’t been the answer.   
  
She’d traded hakama for mini-skirts… Kotori crafted their armor and Umi fashioned their blades. Three girls with their (school) lives on the line! The more they worked at it, the more right this whole school idol project felt!   
  
“Kousaka Honoka,” the upperclassman called out, hands on her hips, a sheaf of papers in hand, and eyes wide and determined, “Sonoda Umi. Minami Kotori. It’s come to my attention that the three of you have put together a school idol group…”   
  
  


 

**Hoshizora Rin**

  
  


**ShiroInari.Girl:** You know I love you.   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** You just really need to turn down the possessiveness, Rin-chan.   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Have a little faith in me, alright?   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** Besides, I know you’re way more attracted to her than I am.   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** You don’t see me thumping my chest and getting on her case just because  _ you _ won’t stop staring at  _ her _ .   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** I happen to like her a lot.

**ShiroInari.Girl:** _As a potential friend._  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** You’re going to have to get on board with that, Rin-chan, and it would be good for you too.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** You need more than just me in your life.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** Thank you. Your turn.  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** Im sorry. ( ͒˃̩̩⌂˂̩̩ ͒)  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** I realy am!  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** I just get so jumpy when shes around! I don’t get it!!!  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** Im glad you know id never leave you. It’s just… I don’t know wats going on! She jus makes me so mad!!  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** I love you. （；_・） Ur turn.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** I love you too! Of course I do!  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** Nothing is going to change that!  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** We’ll figure this out, but in the meantime, I need you to stop trying to fight with her.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** You don’t get this way with Nico-chan, and I have way more in common with her than I do with Maki.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** Do you know why that is? Your turn.  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** Nico doesnt look at u the way Maki does.  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** Maki looks at you like i do.  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** Maki knows your the prettiest.  
  
 **Cup.Nyamen:** ur turn.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** Rin-chan’s the prettiest.  <3  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** You don’t need to fight other people to keep us together. I can do that on my own.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** Nothing is going to break us apart.  
  
 **ShiroInari.Girl:** No **one** is going to break us apart.

**ShiroInari.Girl:** So… chill out okay?   
  
**ShiroInari.Girl:** We’ll talk more later. Maybe lunch… okay? Your turn.   
  
Instead of responding, Rin locked her phone and sprawled over her desk. Not once through the entire conversation had Kayo-chin turned around. She’d messed up… bad. She wanted to be mad at Nishikino for telling on her… but had that really been a bad thing?   
  
She’d gone over the conversation about a dozen times now. Rin knew she was in the wrong here and it only made her more frustrated. She wasn’t jealous. She knew that much. She wasn’t even mad! Something about the redhead just… bothered her. Set her off. Raised the hair on her neck.   
  
The feeling always disappeared almost immediately after she’d start talking to her or texting. It was just the beginning of every meeting. The girl just... made her anxious. Like that passive face was secretly making fun of her or something.   
  
Rin was just thinking in circles now. Chasing her own tail. The worst of it was that she’d gotten Kayo-chin mad at her. Not “mad” mad, but mad enough to not even look at her while they texted.   
  
It sucked.   
  
… but... she deeply suspected that despite every instinct in her body suggesting that Maki sucked too… she just might not.   
  
Her phone buzzed once more, so she unlocked it and immediately puzzled over the note that wasn’t from Kayo-chin…   
  
**[OGNicoNico2 would like to connect!]**   
  
  
  


**Toujou Nozomi**

  
  
“I am so… so sorry…”   
  
Eli had immediately locked the door to the council room after sending texts to the remaining members that no additional help would be needed this morning. They had space and that was a good thing, because the look on Eli’s face after she came in from talking to Nico had been one of the worst in memory.   
  
Worse still, Nozomi found herself completely unable to help her because she was managing the very justified fear that she’d just found out that Eli may have just burned a bridge Nozomi had spent over two years building.   
  
“It’s alright Elicchi. You know how she is. I’m sure she’ll calm down before lunch.”   
  
Alright, so she could help Eli with a hug and some lies… but these were some uncomfortably heavy lies. This was the kind of language that Nozomi had never heard from Nico… in a tone that had shaken Eli. Not that Eli was scared of Nico. Eli was just scared for her and what the slip up could mean for her.    
  
“Really, come on. It’s fine. I’m not worried,” Nozomi assured.   
  
Of course she was worried. Nico just had her trust, something that didn’t come easily (except for Maki, apparently. Not that she was jealous of that or anything), betrayed literally moments after she put herself out in the most personal request she’d ever made.   
  
Nozomi was VERY worried.   
  
“If you’re sure… you know you can talk to me about this,” Eli assured from her shoulder.   
  
“I know. I just need to figure out how to handle this. We should probably get to class.”   
  
“You let me know if there’s anything I can do… alright?”   
  
“Of course,” Nozomi assured, separating from her best friend. She had her best ‘it’s okay’ face on, which was good because she really wanted to shake the girl silly.   
  
They parted ways and Nozomi found only a little relief in knowing that she only had a few minutes until class would eliminate the possibility of experiencing Nico’s rage. What she didn’t expect at all was to find her lounging in her seat, practically glowing as she texted away. This wasn’t a betrayed Nico… this was a triumphant Nico. She looked positively euphoric.   
  
Nozomi decided to leave that light untarnished for a bit.   
  
  
  


**Nishikino Maki**

 

Three classes in and Maki was still coming to terms with how much she had underestimated Yazawa Nico.   
  
That’s saying something. She already held the girl in high esteem… but this? This was downright intimidating. For the moment, she was grateful that Nico already claimed her signature… because the sheer fervor, the devastating  _ personalized _ accuracy to each individual appeal… how would that have been molded to bring her on board?   
  
Nico had been holding back. A lot. She hadn’t bullied her underclassmen into obeying the letter of the law that her position as a club president afforded her. She inspired them and got them excited about what they could accomplish together. Maki had watched in awe as Nico proved herself not only as the motivator she’d frequently bragged about being, but as a real leader. A leader who then assured that she wasn’t there to take over, but to serve as support before anything else.   
  
That level of confidence paired with that level of eloquence?   
  
Frankly, it was kind of hot.   
  
This was Nico in a professional setting. This was part of her craft… and if that level of confidence and skill really did carry over into the kind of dance she professed being so adept at? Oh hoh, this weekend was going to be fun.   
  
It was easy to forget that Nico was two years ahead of her. Maki had never really put much stock into the age deference system that schools employed. She often found herself better prepared and better informed than most of her classmates regardless of age. Sure, that had a lot to do with the education curve throughout the public education system, but still. She’d seen plenty of cases where seniority was a detriment more than an advantage.   
  
Suffice to say, since Nico hadn’t insisted on titles earned by birthdate, Maki frequently forgot that they weren’t on equal footing as far as society would be concerned. The level of competence on display earlier was a subtle reminder of that distance between them.   
  
Now that lunch was moments away, it was her turn. She had two… mostly friends in her class. Both of them had potential and probably wanted in on the club to begin with. All she had to do was steer them in Nico’s direction and most of the people she was on good terms with in the entire school would be meeting regularly in one room.   
  
Even she couldn’t botch something this stacked in her favor.   
  
  
\------------------------------   
  
  
Or… apparently she could.   
  
She’d somehow forgotten over the past couple days that she was a _ catastrophic disaster of a human being. _ _   
_   
The lunch bell rang. That part was fine. It didn’t require motor control on Maki’s part. It was the part where she’d rushed to stand and join Kayo-chin and Rin that everything started going wrong.   
  
She’d somehow missed the handle of her bag three times, jump starting the internalized  frustration train. Then, she nearly kicked herself for having to turn around to retrieve her phone from her desk. In her haste, she clipped the front desk in her aisle with her hip. While turning to apologize to Todo Kaede for jostling her bento, she managed to cross her legs over in a way that once she’d turned back around she  _ re-clipped _ the leg of the damn desk with her  _ shin. _   
  
That would have been bad enough. She already had way more attention aimed her way than she’d have preferred… but the worst part came right after. While she was busy hopping on one leg and trying to shake off the ringing throughout her shin, she somehow managed to trip over Ishi Noriko’s bag, planting her face-first into poor Asai Eriko’s not-insignificant chest.   
  
You following this crap?   
  
It got worse.   
  
Eriko, naturally, because that must have really hurt, recoiled and shrieked. That would have been fine on it’s own. But then she shoved her accidental attacker, that being a now flailing Maki, away… sending her stumbling backwards and falling onto, and over the other side, of Ishi’s desk.   
  
Where did Nishikino Maki land? On the ground. What hit first? Once again, the back of her head. What did the class do? Well… after a moment of silence, most of them broke out in a mix of applause and laughter. Asai was horrified and had become a traumatized mass of apologies. Ishi, terrified that she’d just witnessed the death of their class rep (who wasn’t moving), had become hysterical. Hanna immediately took charge and directed Hanayo and Rin, who had already rushed over in concern, to carry her clumsy ass over to the nurse’s.   
  
Of these things, Maki only vaguely remembered klutz, klutz, klutz… soft landing, sharp takeoff and then blistering pain severe enough that her ears could only hear the pitched whine she couldn’t restrain and tears that kept her eyes from working. What followed was a vague haze of motion, nausea, and pain. The two managed to get her to the nurse’s office before she lost the remainder of her breakfast, light as it had been, and was swiftly diagnosed with a severe concussion. Bad enough that not only was she being relieved from school for the day, but she would be taken directly to Nishikino General for a more thorough assessment and observation.   
  
She wouldn’t remember it later, but before Maki’s escort left to return to class, she came to enough to slur a suggestion that they talk to Nico… but pleaded that they not tell her about what just happened.   
  
So… mission accomplished?

  
  
  


**Yazawa Nico**

 

  
“Pretty good, eh?” Nico grinned, arms looped around the two first years as they entered her sanctuary in Otonokizaka, “All this would be yours… for the most part.”   
  
“So… where does the dancing come in, nya?” Rin asked, still buzzing with hype from her expert lead-in, “If it’s a school idol group, why isn’t the club just called school idol club instead of idol research?”   
  
“Because it takes a lot of attention to all kinds of idol related media to keep up on the trends and learn from others’ experience,” Nico instructed, releasing the two so she could twirl properly, arms wide to her beautiful ladies, “If you’re going to shine, you’ve got to find the light you’re most in sync with.”   
  
“Does this really mean we’re members of µ's now?” Hanayo asked, brimming with excitement.   
  
“I can’t make that call,” Nico shrugged, but keeping the smile rolling, “But I’d strongly suggest that they take you on. Both of you.”   
  
“You’re the president of the club, but not the leader of the group?” Rin puzzled.   
  
“Not yet. Technically, they just joined the club today,” Nico replied, “A little out of order, but idols often have to forge their own paths!”   
  
Hanayo giggled, “Nico-senpai certainly has an answer for everything. Can… can I look around?”   
  
She’d been squirming ever since the door opened. Maki may be stealing her heart away, but this girl? Hanayo? She was just perfection. Everything she’d ever wanted in a kouhai. Nico put on her best magnanimous posture and bowed low, “Have at it, young idol in the making!”   
  
Hanayo was immediately on the move… Rin? She stayed behind.   
  
“So, you’re not a member of µ's then, nya?”   
  
“Also not yet,” Nico replied from her recline, eager to get a crack at conversing with her idol sister’s best girl, “... but I’m pretty sure that’s just because I’m waiting for the formalities.”   
  
“Huh. I woulda thought you’d been an idol already from those moves the other day…” Rin admitted, shifting her weight from side to side anxiously.   
  
“Oh man, moves like those aren’t really idol friendly,” Nico advised, “That was some K-pop boy band action. Less motion from the heart and more flow made for heat. If an idol taps that, it’s gotta be sparingly.”   
  
“What do you mean? Dancing’s just dancing, right?”   
  
Nico took a chance at familiarity and ruffled Rin’s hair as she replied, “It’s all about the vibe you want to get across. You think it’d be good to gyrate that much at a fancy ballroom? I’m sure you’d get attention, but you’re sending the totally wrong message across.”   
  
“It looked like a lot of fun though…” Rin said, crestfallen, though she’d initially perked up at the contact. Apparently these first years really liked their skinship.   
  
“It’s crazy fun,” Nico agreed, “... and we should definitely practice it. You’ll catch on easy. We just have to adapt it for any idol performances. ARISE, one of the biggest names in the school idol game, definitely plays up the cool and sexy vibe, but they still keep it waaaaay tamer than what I showed you.”   
  
That cheered her right back up. “Nyice,” Rin grinned, “So… what’re the chances that I can just… dance? Like, dance without singing? Is that a thing?”   
  
Nico frowned and wagged her finger, “No way. Even if you don’t do solos, you’ve gotta add to the chorus. Besides, there’s no way we’re letting such a well established verbal quirk like yours go to waste. Idol fans will ride and die for a girl as cute as you laying it out with a gimmick like that.”   
  
“Told you,” Hanayo chimed in, taking a break from her rapture.   
  
“See, I’ve got backup. Two to one. You’ll be singing for us by the end of next week. Don’t worry if you’re rusty. We’ll get you trained up… and it’s good cardio control to help you pace your moves,” Nico continued before slapping her bag, opening it and pulling out a sheet of paper that was filling her with WAY too many emotions.   
  
“So, do I have you girls convinced? You in? I guarantee that no matter how far we go, this’ll be a lot of hard work… and the most fun you’ll probably ever have,” Nico promised, twirling a pen and offering it to Rin.   
  
She accepted, whipping her name into place as she asked, “Oh… Maki-chan joined too? Cool.”   
  
“Are you expecting anyone else?” Hanayo asked as she practically teleported to Rin’s side for her turn to sign.   
  
“I’ve got a couple in mind,” Nico admitted, “They’re way too busy and I’m sure they’ll try to turn me down… but I know they’ll be joining us soon enough. This is it girls. This is our time. This is a good year to be an idol.” Those two would come later… but for now, she held the page up and just… basked in seeing the fullest register she’d ever seen under her banner.   
  
**School Idol Research Club Registration:** **  
** **President:** _ Yazawa Nico _ **  
** **Vice President:** _ Kousaka Honoka _ **  
** **Treasurer:** _ Minami Kotori _ **  
** **Secretary:** _ Sonoda Umi _   
**Members:** **  
** _ Nishikino Maki _ _   
_ _ Hoshizora Rin _ _   
_ _ <3 <3 Koizumi Hanayo <3 <3 _   
  
Oh, that girl was definitely idol material. Nico felt so excited and overwhelmed that it was taking all she had to keep the waterworks from kicking in. She wouldn’t be able to stave it off for much longer, so she clapped her hands and announced, “Alright! Go! Enjoy your lunch! We’ll get this party started tomorrow. I wanna talk to Kousaka and company about their schedules before I try to drag commitments out of you two.”   
  
“Can we take lunches in here?” Hanayo asked, staring at the decor longingly.   
  
“We’ll see. Possibly. Probably. Not today though. There’s a few things I want to take care of first.”   
  
The two bounced excitedly out the door… and as soon as it closed, Nico looked at the register again, bit her lip, and squealed, falling back onto the table and kicking her feet in the air. She rolled side-to-side, stopped, stared at the page again, and resumed flailing.   
  
This was all excruciatingly exciting… and she was being dangerously optimistic…  _ and she just did not care.  _ She had a club again! She had a motivated team! She had a lyricist, a costume artist, and a composer! She had a group of cute girls with passion and skills! They’d already tasted defeat and plowed on regardless! They played to an empty room and they put as much passion and fun into the performance as their rudimentary knowledge would have allowed. This group? This group was going to be GOLDEN.   
  
Nico wasn’t just hopeful again, her heart was on fire! After two years of frustration and isolation, Yazawa Nico’s time had finally fucking come! She wanted to run, jump, dance, scream her excitement at the clouds, kick stupid Nagisa’s ass and rub her face in the dirt for DARING to suggest this day would never come!   
  
… No, not that one. Not idol-like. Satisfying thought though.   
  
… on the note of backstage pass-worthy thoughts… time to share some of the good news!    
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Hey pretty girl, guess whos dreams you helped make come true today?   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : THIS GIRL! WE’RE IN BUSINESS BABY!   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : We’re definitely adopting Hanayo, btw, she’s the Sugarplum Fairy in my Candyland.  
  
**OGNicoNico2** : I’ve been waiting for this my entire life and, baby, I know that this is it.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : This is our time. We’re gonna make this happen!   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : No more hiding for this girl! I’m comin’ home EVERY NIGHT after practice and telling those kids the truth from here on out!   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Their big sis is, without a doubt, gonna be the Universe’s #1 School Idol!   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : and after graduation? I’m just droppin’ the “School” part of that title.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : We’re gonna tour around the world, pretty girl!    
  
**OGNicoNico2** : … I’m gonna have to learn more languages… might be too late for that.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : We gotta hook up soon. I’ve got all this energy and I don’t know what to do with it!   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Nozomi said that nine is a powerful number right now…    
  
**OGNicoNico2** : With you, µ's would currently have seven.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : I’ve got a feeling it’s her and Eli.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : You haven’t met her yet, but the council president and I are kinda tight.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : There’s no other two it could be… but you have to be a part.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : I can’t just have your music, Maki.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : I need all of you.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : The whole thing.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Every. Perfect. Drop.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Nico got your tongue?   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Not yet, anyway. Later?   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Jeez, you probably have your ringer off again.   
  
**OGNicoNico2** : Nico forgives you… but seriously. I’ve GOT to see you soon.   
  
Nico laid in the afterglow of her triumph. Her heart felt so full, but entirely at ease. The challenges ahead would be crazy tough… but the prize at the end? Oh, she’d tear through the very concept of fate itself if it tried standing in her way now…   
  
Her phone dinged and she giggled again. That must have been a hell of a thing to read all in one go. She’d have to talk Maki down from the impending mountain of protests… but she knew she could do it. They would walk this path hand-in-hand, marching down an endless parade where they could make both their dreams come true.   
  
She lazily brought the phone up.   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Nicocchi. Get over to the nurse’s. Now.   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** It’s Maki.

  
  
\---------------------

  
  


**????????? ????**

  
In a moment of silence, Maki came to on her back. She noticed herself reclining against a backdrop of nothing a few meters away, standing out vividly against the ocean of black. She was much younger… her hair was long, placing her at eight years at the most. This… younger her was staring, apparently just waiting for her to come to, filling the void with the sound of a final pull from her juice box.   
  
She was wearing that dress… the one from the recital.   
  
“So… ” Her younger self began, crumpling the box and tossing it at her. Maki found herself unable to so much as flinch as it bounced off her forehead, “... are you having fun yet?”   
  
Her younger self padded over to her side, crouching to get a closer look. She poked at her head, which she just noticed wasn’t splitting apart from pain, and commented, “It’s a little early in the game to be checking out now, isn’t it? What happened to all that optimism?”   
  
“What are you talking about?” Maki asked, finding herself finally in control enough to vocalize. This seemed to surprise her younger doppelganger.   
  
“Oh. Wow. This is just a short visit, isn’t it? A one-beat stop? Two? Either way, get it together, alright? We think you might be on to something here… disgraceful as you’ve been.”   
  
“What is all this?” Maki asked, a dull throbbing on the edge of her senses.   
  
“Nothing you’ll remember… probably. If you do, say hi to Eli for me? ”   
  
The throbbing was approaching unbearable and her body remembered the sensation of nausea. The little… what was it again? The thing she’d been talking to that she couldn’t place was gone and the dark rippled with the patterns behind her eyelids. How could she see her hand behind her eyelids? Why did she think she could see her hand at all? She couldn’t see anything… her eyes were closed.   
  
Her stomach was already empty, which helped contain her nausea. The pain was something completely different. That wasn’t willing to let up at all. The pillow under her was savagely brutal against what must have been raw exposed nerves. Whoever was sitting on the bed with her shifted as she groaned. She needed to get on her side or her head was going to spill out over the sheets.   
  
She felt someone brush her hair from her eyes. She tried to see who, but everything was too blurry to really make out. The voices she recognized though… letting her easily pair the red topped black mass and the purple blur with identities.    
  
Maki closed her eyes, trusting that she would be alright soon…    
  
  
  


 

**Notes:**   
  
Happy New Year~ <3   
  
\oo/ (≧∇≦) \oo/   
  
Yazawa Nico is on the rise! Could Maki be overthrown as the main character of this fic? How is she going to write music with scrambled eggs for brains? How come Dr. Nishikino ♂ seems to have more trouble dealing with emotions than his daughter? Why is little imagination Maki so mean?   
  
All this and more is on the way, but first a weekend date with Nico, Maki, and Nozomi~   
See you all next time~   
  
  
**Personal Notes:**   
  
Had a good time at Kotoricon over the weekend, one of the few shows we do reselling at in addition to the usual Manifested Dreams merch. It’s heartwarming to see how excited people get about the more random yet still official  µ's and Aqours stuff.   
  
We even sold a Mastery book!   
  
The main reason I bring this up here is that for the show I whipped up a temporary sketch commission menu. As the art example, I tossed Maki on the page with All Might from Hero Academia... partially to show that all headcanons would be welcome but mostly because I wanted to draw them. No one asked about the ring, but it’s obviously from Nico <3   
(  [ https://aaronmizuno.deviantart.com/art/All-Headcanons-Welcome-723954895 ](https://aaronmizuno.deviantart.com/art/All-Headcanons-Welcome-723954895) )   
  
I also hopped on to School Idol Tomodachi (as Aaronmizuno) specifically to participate in their secret santa event. I got this super cute piece from Chippy (  [ http://i.imgur.com/Bf6LRsn.png ](http://i.imgur.com/Bf6LRsn.png) ) and whipped up a pic of You Watanabe (  [ https://imgur.com/UWLY7gO ](https://imgur.com/UWLY7gO) ) and a cellphone BG for a user appropriately named “Gay_for_Hanayo” (  [ https://imgur.com/gUkdwRz ](https://imgur.com/gUkdwRz) ). Thought I’d share all that since I hear sharing is a nice thing to do.   
  
I haven’t looked into it very much, but I’ve got to find out if you can add artwork to accompany the text on this site… as if I wasn’t already swamped with too much work. I dunno, if it’s a no go, would you all be willing to click links in the middle of reading to check out a visual? I’m not talking full on comic here or anything… probably...


	12. Believe in the Heart of the Cards

**Nishikino Maki**

 

  
“Wha? Really?”  
  
“You heard me, Maki,” minded her mother, probing at the back of her head which was admittedly still rather tender, “It wouldn’t be like this if you’d told us about the LAST two times this happened…”  
  
The rest of the week had been rough. Sure Maki’d had plenty to keep herself mentally occupied. Between delivered classwork and plowing through Umi’s journal, noting and recording a hummed version of any melodies that came to mind… she only really rested when the concentration taxed her concussed mind past it’s limit. Now… it didn’t take much to reach that point, so this led to more consecutive hours of rest than she’d gotten in the past seven years. Not necessarily sleep, but rest regardless.  The physical desire to be on the move was driving her crazy.  
  
That and to eat something that wasn’t hospital food or taken via I.V.  
  
Doing her best not to wince at her mother’s touch, Maki twisted the sheets at her lap and continued to plead her case, “I know… I just didn’t want to worry you both with how busy you’ve been. I was checked both times and we didn’t notice anything. I’m sorry… and I’ll do better… but, if I’m _really_ careful, can I still go?”  
  
The probing stopped. It took a lot of effort to not turn, so Maki kept her eyes trained on the breast cancer self-test flyer taped to wall of her hospital room. Surprisingly, her mother came into view regardless, her expression inquisitive.  
  
“You know better than to take concussions lightly,” she said, locking on with the eye contact.  
  
“If I thought there’d been one, I would have told you immediately, regardless of how busy you were,” Maki replied, meeting her gaze.  
  
“... and who did you want to go out with again?” her mother continued.  
  
“Nico-chan and another friend, Toujou Nozomi. She’s the student council vice president and they invited me to go shopping with them,” Maki stated, trying to keep the hope out of her voice.  
  
Her mother pulled a chair up, murmuring, “Another new name…” to herself as she leaned onto the bed railing.  
  
Nishikino Nadeshiko pulled up Maki’s chart and made a show of tapping it with her pen. “You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you continue to seek permission for something after being told no this many times.”  
  
Maki felt her face get hot… the pressure of her embarrassment actually agitated her headache and spiked her nausea, but she managed to not outwardly react as her mother continued, “This isn’t a bad thing. I actually find this very encouraging… so, against my better judgement, I’m _considering_ letting you do this.”  
  
Maki’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard, embarrassment for being so caught up by the simple chance of getting that yes exacerbating the pressure further. She knew this was a bad idea. That she’d really be pushing it with how strong the symptoms still were… but she really wanted this!  
  
“First, you have to _promise_ me that you’ll be careful. Nothing that would be too taxing or could rattle your skull. That means no rough-housing. No running. None of those dance games at arcades or even Karaoke. Too loud. You would keep this a _low-energy_ outing. I’m even disinclined for you to use the train lines. Waki could be called in to provide transportation if it came to that.”  
  
“I can do that,” Maki replied, “It’ll be nice to see her again.”  
  
“Second, you take frequent breaks. Find somewhere and sit down. Stay hydrated. You hear me? I would want you to notify me via text at every break so I’d know you were taking them often enough.”  
  
“Alright,” Maki agreed, “I’d probably need to do that anyway…”  
  
“That’s why I’m _asking_ you to do it,” Nadeshiko chided, “ To make _sure_ you take care of yourself. Third, I’d want to meet Toujou, preferably with Nico, so I can make sure that _they_ know what I’m asking you to do.”  
  
“I… I’ll text them to meet me here,” Maki replied, looking away as embarrassment kicked in even higher. She just _knew_ her stupid blush was showing by now.  
  
“It’s important to us that you take care of yourself, Maki,” Nadeshiko continued, brushing Maki’s hair from her face and redirecting her gaze back, “All of this is because I thought you were doing a better job of that. It’s going to be a little bit before we feel like we can trust you again.”  
  
That hurt. A lot. Embarrassment and shame bit into Maki’s heart. She knew that something like this would happen eventually. You don’t spend nights sneaking around outside, hiding in the school overnight, skipping classes, or focusing more heavily on your personal interests over academic studies without expecting to get caught eventually.  
  
Maki had done a lot more than her mother knew to betray that trust… which somehow made the whole thing so much worse. Her personal health fell so far down her list of priorities that it hadn’t even occurred to her that _it_ would be the inevitable point of contention.  
  
“I’m sorry, Mama…” Maki offered weakly, mostly for knowing that she had no real idea how to fix the problem, and that this very outing would only happen if she managed to hide her symptoms well enough from her doctor/parent.  
  
“I am too. I know a lot of this is because Papa and I spend so much time away. We ask a lot of you… and we know that’s not fair. There is a lot of responsibility riding on your shoulders and I’ve been worried that you’ve been isolating yourself too much as time goes on. That’s why I’m so happy to hear you’ve been making so many friends at your new school… which is also why I’m going to give you my blessing on the assumption that I will be meeting Toujou later today.”  
  
Swallowing down another wave of concussion-induced nausea, Maki had never felt so conflicted or undeserving of actually getting her way.  
  
“Thank you, Mama…”

  


**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
“How do YOU end up getting to be “the chaperone?” Nico groused, “I’m the one with more experience handling kids!”  
  
“I’m going to do Nicocchi a favor and not tell _her girlfriend_ that she just equated her with a child,” Nozomi teased, “I’m pretty sure it’s got more to do with my position in the school than anythin’ else.”  
  
That really had been the wrong angle to express her anger with the situation. Why was she even mad about this? Things were going her way on almost every front. She was officially a member of µ's now. A real school idol. All she needed to do now was participate in a live and she’d be the real deal. She had a squad of ultra cute, highly motivated, and surprisingly skilled girls that showed up for practice, was capable of taking directions, and even listened to her advice.  
  
It’s not like she wasn’t happy about it. It wasn’t like she wasn’t brimming with energy and excitement over it. She just wasn’t… like… over the moon like she thought she should be. Likely entirely due to her songwriter/girlfriend nearly killing herself trying to recruit her classmates. If Maki hadn’t confirmed the rumors via Line, there’s no way Nico would have believed just how ridiculous the accident had been.  
  
Far closer to her ear than Nico was ready for, Nozomi breathed, “Nicocchi should cheer up for her big date.” The cheshire grin that she was wearing as Nico finished her squeak, leap, and turn was _SO_ annoying.  
  
“ _This_ is not a date,” Nico answered flatly, “... if it were, you’d be in for trouble. The punishment game for breaking your word would leave marks.”  
  
“Ara~ Very suggestive. So who usually gives these marks out? Surely not little first-year Maki-chan?”  
  
Nico glared, nostrils flared. Why the hell would her subconscious think it would be appropriate to remind her of that time in the club room _now?_ Nico would _not_ be outdone by someone who should still be apologizing, “Maki-chan would have to wait in line until I punished you appropriately.”  
  
“So, do all of Nicocchi’s dates end with that kinda thing?” Nozomi pressed.  
  
Nico twitched, not for the first time regretting letting Nozomi in on the secret, “You probably wouldn’t be so hung up on _my_ relationship if you’d quit dragging your feet on your own.”  
  
“Elicchi ‘n’ I are moving at our own pace. One we’re comfortable with,” Nozomi replied simply, “I’m invested in Nicocchi’s ‘cause she’s so dear t’me. I have t’make sure Maki-chan’s good enough for ya.”  
  
Everytime Nozomi let her slang slip in, Nico had trouble holding her ire. There was so much packed into those sentences that were new bombshells that… well… , “Nico’s not sure how to handle such an honest Nozomi.”  
  
The taller girl leaned in and hugged Nico’s arm tightly, “Be happy that we’re finally on a date? I am!”  
  
Nico looked away, intentionally sulking to hide how off balance she was, “What’s all this about ‘finally’? Since when do you hold back on anything you want?”  
  
“Nicocchi’s got a lot to learn, apparently,” Nozomi continued to tease as they made their way to Nishikino General, “All this talk about you an’ Maki-chan’s illicit affairs might have gotten me jealous~”  
  
“Nozomi,” Nico warned, continuing in a lower voice after leaning closer, “I get it. You like picking on me. That’s fine. I give it back just as hard. Maki-chan? She isn’t ready to tell _anyone_ . She said it was alright for me to tell you. What about that makes you think it’d be a good idea to joke about it, out loud, as we’re coming up on the hospital her family owns that’s surrounded by people who probably know her?”  
  
“She specifically said it was alright to tell just me?” Nozomi asked, confused.  
  
“Yeah. I asked her if she would be alright with me telling you. You probably would have found out anyways because of the cards, but I didn’t want it to go that way,” Nico admitted, “Why do you think she was so cool with us being seen by you in public?”  
  
“I… just assumed it was because she didn’t…” Nozomi began before redirecting to an even more surprised, “You wanted to tell me yourself badly enough that you asked!?”  
  
If the subject wasn’t so touchy, Nico would have enjoyed getting another deeply felt hit in on the flirtatious Washi-ng machine. Now? She just felt a bit vicious over having to admit it like this. She kept her tone low, the hospital now in sight, as she replied, “That’s right. Because for some reason I thought we were friends and I could trust you to keep such an important secret… instead of turning around and blabbing to your all-you-can-eat buffet.”  
  
“My what?” Nozomi asked, looking for the world like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to find that funny right now. Just like Nico intended.  
  
“Your tall blond dish. Your nyotaimori wet dream. Your garden of roses and lilies. Your second best girl, next to yours truly. If it was just my secret alone, you know I’d be fine with Eli knowing. You two have been great to me. I’m grateful. It’s just that this was Maki’s too, and she’s the one you’re gonna have to apologize to.”  
  
Man, when you finally get past Nozomi’s defenses, twisting that knife right in her feels was like a terrible combination of pulling a ‘great luck’ fortune and the guilt that she’d imagine would come from kicking puppies. At least she’d finally gotten her to blush.  
  
“I’m surprised Nicocchi knows what that even is…” Nozomi pouted, apparently unable to come up with anything better.  
  
“There was a music video Zhang Dawei put out about a year ago. At the start he was covered. By the end, not so much. Never realized how cut the boy was until then. I’ve had a low-key thing for it ever since,” Nico confessed with a wink, “Should I send you a link?”  
  
“Your browser history must be quite a ride, Niccochi,” Nozomi replied, now looking much more comfortable.  
  
“Heh, it’s almost a shame I got caught by a girl. If it’d been a guy, I’d have wrecked his world by now.”  
  
“What ever happened to ‘idols never date?’” Nozomi laughed.  
  
Nico shrugged and perked her voice up, “Ehh? I don’t know what you’re talking about! Nico is as pure as her heart’s song, reaching out to make you smile~”  
  
Both laughed, still arm-in-arm as they passed the gates of the hospital.

  
  


**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
  
Hopefully, eventually, it would stop feeling awkward having Mama and Nico in the same room. Probably after the (what the internet seems to call) “honeymoon phase” had passed and she stopped wanting to crawl all over the girl every time she saw her… which would be a pretty severe violation of the current ‘no rough-housing’ rule.  
  
… Unless they did like that time in the club room… assuming Nico thrashed around a little less when...  
  
Nope. Definitely not the thing to think about right now. Just the thought was enough to exacerbate the dizziness and nausea that her perpetually passive face helped to hide.  
  
Somehow, the physical side of their relationship hadn’t even been on her mind until the two showed up in their casual clothes. Nico was looking fashionably sporty and Toujou-senpai was homey elegant. Maki? Slumming it in a blue hoodie and red jogging shorts. How had she not considered requesting decent clothing be brought from home for the outing that had literally been the only thing on her mind for days? They looked fantastic.  
  
Maki let the meet and greet, rule-setting, and well wishes roll over her as she replied on automatic. She was finally going to get on her feet and be social. Exciting, because somehow, just a couple of weeks into high school, she had become addicted to not being alone all the time.  
  
The trio bid their farewells, Maki was discharged, and It wasn’t until they had left the building that redhead felt safely out of hearing range to ask, “So… what are we going shopping for?”  
  
“You agreed to come without even knowing that?” Nozomi asked, amused.  
  
“Obviously. I’m here for the company more than anything else. I’m glad you could come with,” Maki replied, leading her two companions to both start cracking up.  
  
“It’d be pretty hard f’r me t’show Nicocchi where t’find a tarot deck without taggin’ along,” Nozomi managed amidst her snickering.  
  
A tarot deck? That’s what this was all about? Maki’s eyes widened as the thought sank in further, “ _I’m_ the third wheel.”  
  
Nico, who hadn’t had much trouble stifling her first outburst really lost it. A raucous snort followed by a stream of idol-pitch giggles that only got stronger as Maki watched and pouted.  
  
“Aww, it’s alright,” Nozomi placated, looping an arm around Maki’s right and patting her forearm, “We both wanted an excuse to steal you away for a little. We’ll make sure to give you _special attention_ .”  
  
That… actually felt even worse. The words were comforting, but the tone felt patronizing. At least seeing Nozomi clinging to her got a good reaction out of Nico. No longer laughing, but still smiling. Nico slid into her other side, claiming the other arm.  
  
Embarrassing or not, all was forgiven. The differences in sensation between the two was a tactile smorgasbord that she’d spend plenty of time daydreaming about later.  
  
“So, what did you think was happening here, Maki-chan?” Nozomi teased. Nico’s grip tightened a little as the council VP continued, “That I was just a cover for you two to go off and… make music together?”  
  
“Nozomi…” Nico warned.  
  
“You heard Mama,” Maki replied, “I’m supposed to be avoiding too much exertion.”  
  
“Oh my god,” Nico groaned for some reason.  
  
“So the two of you are… enthusiastic, then?” Nozomi continued to pry.  
  
“I wouldn’t know… I haven’t been to the club since it actually got members. How’s practice been? You never really talk about it when we text,” Maki asked as she turned from Nozomi’s strangely disappointed expression.  
  
“It’s great. It’ll be even better once we work you into the formation,” Nico replied, still holding on tighter than entirely necessary, “I already got Rinny Rin-nya and Best Girl lined up to help me get you in dancing shape as soon as possible.”  
  
“I… can’t believe I know who you’re talking about,” Maki murmured as Nico continued.  
  
“There’s only so much we can do with a such a limited number of songs… well… song… but it gives us something to work around to get everyone up and in shape.”  
  
“Nicocchi more’n others~” Nozomi intoned, “Honoka-chan’s group was dancing circles around her just a half hour in…”  
  
“So I’m out of practice!” Nico groused, “We’ll all be on the same page soon enough.”  
  
“Wait,” Maki interjected, turning to Nozomi in confusion, “You’re at the practice too?”  
  
“Well, of course I am. Nicocchi, you didn’t tell her?”  
  
“Oh yeah… Right…” Nico replied before turning on the boisterous, “The power of the Nico Nii could not be denied. Our esteemed student council VP and the President Sexybritches herself signed up while you were out seeing stars. I didn’t want to bother you with that at the time since you didn’t need to getting hot and bothered over the thought while you were supposed to be recovering.”  
  
Nostrils flared, Maki protested, “What the heck? Why would I get worked up over something like that!?”  
  
“Because _everyone_ has the hots for Eli. It’s just a fact of life. It doesn’t matter what gets your motor running,” Nico teased, though it seemed to be mostly directed toward Nozomi.  
  
“Nicocchi…”  
  
“But,” Maki added, knowing there had to be a lot she was missing, “How did you pull that off? Kotori said that Ayase-senpai was absolutely against the group even existing!”  
  
Nico grinned and shrugged, “Nico has her ways~”  
  
Nozomi deadpanned, “Nicocchi guilt-tripped her into it.”  
  
“I did not!”  
  
“Kinda did, Nicocchi… but that’s fine.”  
  
“Wait… how did this happen?” Maki asked, looking more confused by the second.  
  
“I called in some favors, talked with Principal Minami, challenged Eli to a dance off on the roof,” Nico rambled.  
  
“Which you lost. Horribly,” Nozomi snidely added.  
  
“According to plan!” Nico interjected before continuing, “Then we had a heart to heart, I made my real pitch, there were tears and I filled her in on how she really felt about the whole thing. Ultimately, logic won the day and our idol group’s roster is complete! All that’s left now… is to actually get this thing started!”  
  
Maki felt very grateful that despite how animated the two were being, neither were jostling her very much. All of the back and forth was draining, but the excitement that Nico’s optimism fueled was more than enough to counteract. “I’ll do my best to not slow you down,” Maki promised, “I’ve kept Umi up to date with a list of songs I have ideas for… It’ll be nice to finally get back in front of the piano again.”  
  
“You’re on a first-name-basis with quite a few of your seniors, Maki-chan,” Nozomi noted.  
  
“All by invitation, I assure you,” Maki replied defensively, “... So… you’re a member then? Do you have a gimmick?”  
  
Nozomi double-blinked before asked, “I’m sorry, what?”  
  
“Your thing. Nico-chan and Kayo-chin are knowledgeable about idols, Rin dances, Honoka’s the optimism, Umi and I make the music, Kotori dresses us up… what’s your thing?”  
  
“That’s kind of a rude way to put it, Maki-chan,” Nico said, poking at her arm with her free hand.  
  
“I like it,” Nozomi grinned, “I’m the spiritual power!”  
  
Nico groaned and Maki couldn’t help but smile at her energetic response, “So, you’re in Honoka’s camp?”  
  
“Not quite,” Nozomi replied, “Honoka-chan brings energy and optimism. I bring real magic and spiritual guidance… as well as a bit of skill with a camera, cinematography, and stage direction. Between myself and the A/V club, our online presence is going to be _captivating_ .”  
  
“Wait,” Nico interjected, “ **_YOU’RE_ ** the one that uploaded that first video that the second years put on?”  
  
“Yup!” Nozomi chirped, winking with her tongue out playfully before continuing, “Elicchi thought it’d make them feel embarrassed if they got trolled online for their performance. Little did they know I was rooting for them all along, so I got some very good shots. I maaaay have also posted it to a few relevant post boards and circles as well.”  
  
“I wondered where that came from,” Maki added, “I couldn’t figure out where the footage came from.”  
  
“That’s my A/V girls at work,” Nozomi beamed, “I was actually gonna suggest that you delegate some o’ your digital audio work their way. They’d love the practice an’ it sounds like your schedule’s pretty full up.”  
  
“The kids _have_ been wondering if the paparazzi kidnapped you or something,” Nico chimed in, “I think they’re jealous of me getting to be in touch with you every day. They keep asking when you’re coming around next.”  
  
Nozomi whistled. Maki’s face lit up, wishing more than ever that she wasn’t on rough-housing lockdown. Cocoa would be pretty sad if she’d inadvertently gave Maki permanent brain damage from jumping on her back, so a Yazawa home visit was straight out. Knowing that they wanted her back and hadn’t actually forgotten her (as she’d assumed they would) was both heart-warming and a little heart-breaking. She missed them too.  
  
Trying to stay on topic, Maki replied, “I’ll have to check in with them. They seemed pretty enthusiastic from what I saw. I just need to make sure we have compatible software.”  
  
“So, where _are_ we going?” Nico asked, “I’m good just wandering around with you two, but I want to make sure we get the main event done before we wear Maki-chan out too badly.”  
  
Maki straightened her posture and solidified her expression to reply, “This is nothing. I’m fine.”  
  
Nozomi smirked and replied, “We’re actually coming up on our turn. Two blocks up, three to the left, make a right and up to the third floor.”  
  
Nico hummed at her left, “Huh. I woulda thought it’d be in some second level basement or a dungeon or something.”  
  
“Really?” Nozomi replied flatly, her expression the epitome of unimpressed, “I think Nicocchi has a very strange idea about how all of this works...”  


\-----------------------------------

 

True to her word, it wasn’t in a basement… or a dungeon. It was a well-lit, surprisingly pastel, small special interest bookstore/cafe. A pleasant quiet flute-based melody with chime accents set the mood. The woman behind the counter waved to Nozomi as they entered and they exchanged a brief, yet surprisingly personal greeting. She seemed delighted that Nozomi had brought in “those lovely friends she’d mentioned,” and seemed to have a special interest in Nico. Not surprising. She looked super cute today.  
  
“Alright,” Nozomi began briskly, “Since Nicocchi’s gonna need t’focus, I’d suggest that Maki-chan either takes a seat to rest, get a reading from my friend, or peruse the store _away_ from the cards.”  
  
“Eh?” Maki pouted. That was a little disappointing, “I’d be a distraction?”  
  
“Nicocchi’s going to need to listen with her heart if she’s going to hear her cards calling for her. She won’t be able to hear them if it’s just pounding, “Maki-chan~ Maki-chan~ I~ lo-”  
  
“She gets it,” Nico interrupted, covering Nozomi’s mouth and pulling the giggling mystic further into the store, “Sorry Maki-chan. I’ll try to make this quick.”  
  
“R… Right,” Maki managed, watching Nico all but drag Nozomi around a corner, looking… well… flustered. For some reason, it _just now_ occurred to Maki that neither she nor Nico had properly confessed. They had done pretty much everything **_aside_ ** of confessing… but that traditional kick-start that most relationships begin with? Just never happened.  
  
She’d been so happy with it all and caught up in the really fun parts they’d skipped to that she hadn’t even realized. She’d just… kind of assumed this level of infatuation was mutual. Quantifying and labeling it all had kind of just… fallen to the wayside with all of the musical and physical passion pounding in her veins.  
  
What did that say about her priorities?  
  
Sitting down actually felt like a pretty good idea right now. The trip had been more strenuous than expected… and the sudden revelation had her legs feeling even weaker. Still, it seemed a shame to come to a place so completely out of the norm and not have a look around. Maybe just a little exploring wouldn’t hurt…  
  
Or not. Remembering her Mother’s disappointed expression, Maki padded over to the counter where she ordered a London Fog (Earl Grey with steamed milk) and then settled in to take in the view from one of the three cafe tables. A quick text to Mama went out shortly after. Gotta restore that faith!  
  
From Maki’s limited vantage point, she saw labels marking partitions of the bookcases as faith-specific areas. Buddhism, Shinto, Druidism, Taoism, and a slew of other ‘ism’s and ‘ianity’s  that quickly fell out of her range of knowledge. The end cap focusing on astrology was an eye-catcher. She even recognized a few of the books on the stand, making the already pleasant decor even more comfortable.  
  
The woman behind the counter appeared at her side, placing a cup on the table with a, “Here’s your order, could I help you with anything else? Maybe a reading?” So far, she was the only other person Maki had seen in the store. She didn’t look much older than Nozomi. Was she the owner?  
  
With all of Nico’s talk of magic and her clear interest in learning more, Maki felt almost obligated to expand her own knowledge. Neither of her parents gave much credence to this sort of thing. Outside of enjoying the lore behind the constellations, she hadn’t given it much thought herself. This seemed like an ideal opportunity, so...  
  
“I don’t really know much about… any of this. I’ll take you up on that if you could explain it a little,” Maki replied, uncertain if she was jumping into the deep end or not.  
  
The woman seemed pleased enough, “Absolutely. It’s a slow day, so I’d be happy to entertain you while your friends do their shopping. Let me go get my deck.”  
  
Well, she was certainly pleasant enough. Taking a long pull of her drink, Maki sighed as the psychosomatic response to the caffeine eased the mild headache that had started. Taking coffee and tea as withdrawal prevention instead of a coherency stimulant was always nice… but it made her wish she could wean off of it entirely. She double-checked that no one was watching and popped another round of painkillers and vitamin supplements. B-boosters really were the best.  
  
“Alright then, Nishikino was it? Please call me Tsu. Where should we start?”  
  
The woman had pulled her hair back and brought along something that smelled marvelously earthy. Probably some kind of oolong. She set a still-boxed deck beside her cup’s saucer and waited with a patient expression that deeply reminded Maki of Nozomi’s.  
  
“Maki, if you would, and before any kind of… reading takes place, may I ask some questions?”  
  
“Of course,” Tsu replied.  
  
“How does it work?”  
  
“Card readings?”  
  
“Nn. Until recently, I never gave this sort of thing much attention. It’s not that I don’t believe magic exists, I just didn’t take the time for exploring it,” Maki explained, keeping her voice low.  
  
“And something changed this?” Tsu prompted.  
  
“A... miracle, of sorts,” Maki replied honestly.  
  
“Ooo,” the woman cooed, suddenly looking very interested, “Would you like to talk about it?”  
  
“Not particularly,” Maki answered, finger finding her hair, “It’s just that… well… it’s kind of like destiny decided to start throwing its weight around.”  
  
“How old are you, Maki? I’d wager fifteen?”  
  
“Sixteen.”  
  
“Well, at this point you’d be well on the ending side of puberty, which can feel like a magic of its own.”  
  
Maki smiled, “I would have expected you to say it in itself was.”  
  
Tsu shrugged, matching Maki’s smile, “Well, it is, but it’s pretty terrible for everyone, which can lead to a nasty connotation. Most people who are sensitive to this sort of thing will attribute that moment where they find direction in their lives that wasn’t ‘part of the plan’ to destiny. Really, that’s often just the maturation of your personal interests and your desire to pursue them.”  
  
“It sounds like you’re trying to convince me that destiny doesn’t exist,” Maki asked, amused.  
  
“Well, one person calls it destiny, others just call it living your life. There’s no perfect way to argue for or against its existence. I usually take a middle-ground stance.”  
  
Both took a moment to enjoy their drinks. Maki re-engaged with, “So, how would a middle-ground work? A ‘partial’ destiny? That would suggest that one person is more special than others by design, wouldn’t it?”  
  
“You don’t believe that?” Tsu asked, leaning in with an interest that looked, for the first time. Somehow, it seemed like this had become personal.  
  
“Honestly? ... No. Not really,” Maki admitted uncomfortably, “A person can mean more to you than someone else, but in the scope of the entire world? The universe? No matter how unique something is, it’s no less ‘special’ than anything else. We just… give it that significance on an individual basis.”  
  
“So how does a sixteen year old girl have such a pessimistic view of the world?” Tsu wondered aloud, tapping on the table, “Are you someone that people consider special?”  
  
“I know where you’re going with this,” Maki waved off, “If nothing is special, then everything is special. Neither explain the concept of partial destiny…”  
  
Apparently enjoying herself, Tsu continued, “Unless you consider destiny to be situationally applied to ensure only key events, or to be a thing you make yourself. A self fulfilling prophecy of sorts. In some lore, reincarnation is continued until you learn the lesson you were meant to absorb in the life before. In that case, destiny would be the force directing you toward those lessons.”  
  
“Which, like destiny or even the subject of magic itself, would be impossible to prove or disprove,” Maki deadpanned.  
  
“You’re not wrong,” Tsu continued, now fully engaged, “Part of what makes magic so hard for science to pin down is because of how subjective it is. Emotions and experiences rely on personal interpretation to balance and gauge,” Tsu explained, taking a sip and then continuing, “Something that one person would find traumatic, another would find mundane. Neither side would be wrong, but correct only in the circle of their understanding. Magic tends to be like that.”  
  
“That... makes sense. Not really what I wanted to ask about though,” Maki replied wearily before gesturing to the cards, “ I’m more interested in how _this_ works specifically.”  
  
“Tarot or fortune telling in general?”  
  
“Let’s just go with tarot for now. I imagine we’re getting short on time,” Maki returned, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice at getting sidetracked.  
  
As if on cue, a crash and a thud from behind the bookshelves preceded Nico crying out, “Nozomi! Come on!” and then the sound of the taller girl laughing and then calling out an apology.  
  
“I think we’ve got a bit yet,” Tsu sighed before calling back, “You better clean that up, Toujou!”  
  
“Will do!” she replied cheerfully before returning to their previously undetectable volume.  
  
“I’ll try to keep this brief then,” Tsu cheerily began. She slid the cards free from their deck and fanned them out across the table, “Well, to start with…”

  


**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
  
“How was that my fault?” Nozomi all-but whispered, her voice hitching amidst her restrained laughter.  
  
Nico irritably scrambled to pick up the various sealed decks and books that had fallen after she flailed her way into the shelving. Said flailing happened because Nozomi laced almost every sentence with innuendo about her and Maki, culminating with a surprise poke to the side while she was _trying_ to concentrate on which deck was supposed to be hers! Nico shot Nozomi a look of pure venom as she harsh-whispered, “You’ve got a lot of nerve to ask that.”  
  
Great, now she was giggling even harder. It was bad enough being ticklish, but getting poked while she was so focused? If they hadn’t been here on a mission, she’d have marched off with Maki in tow to deal with this mounting frustration.  
  
“You’re starting to make me regret asking for this,” Nico groused as she finished gathering the stack of books, “I always knew you were a huge pervert, but why are you laying into me so hard over Maki-chan?”  
  
“Honestly?”  
  
“Honestly,” Nico replied, turning from the shelf again to pin Nozomi down. As much as Nico wasn’t enjoying the recent flush of teasing from the girl, she was deeply appreciative of the newfound openness she offered. Equivalent exchange.  
  
“Mostly because it’s fun. Maybe a little jealousy. You’ve been pretty vague on the details, so this girl’s imagination might be runnin’ wild.”  
  
Jealous? That’d be a trip.  
  
“Seriously? Come on,” Nico replied, cramming as much disbelief in her tone as possible, “You’ve had Eli right there with you for years. For whatever reason you two are playing it off like it’s nothing, but you can’t fool this girl. You’re not stupid. Eli clearly thinks the world of you, relies on you like, all the time, and would probably cry if she realized how much you were holding back.”  
  
“That’s not…”  
  
“Isn’t it?” Nico continued wearily. This topic was just so… old. Talking in circles, making the same points… it was tedious. Nico continued to re-face the shelving as she grumbled, “For someone as nosey and forward as you are, I don’t get how you’re so cool with keeping her waiting and making both of you suffer for no damn reason.”  
  
When Nico turned, Nozomi had her ‘kicked puppy’ face on. Usually that would be enough to make her back down… but this was a new Nico. This was a Nico whose dreams were in the process of coming true. This was a Nico with a _hot girlfriend,_ a slew of new potential friends, and an actual outlet for all of her sexual frustrations. This was a Nico with some **_momentum_ ** . Momentum and a sex drive that had been reawakened, fed, and then starved for several days.  
  
Not that Nozomi knew any of that. As far as _she_ was aware, Nico was just being bashful about all of the innuendo being shoved in her face. Truth of the matter was that her imagination was taking every suggestion and gleefully running with them to their multi-orgasmic conclusions. There was a reason she had put this stuff on lockdown!  
  
“You know,” Nico began, putting on her saunter as she stepped to her pouting friend, her most evilly sly grin in place, “I think you’re gettin’ on Nico’s case not because you’re jealous of what you could be having with Elicchi. Nico’s starting to think you’ve got the hots for her~”  
  
Nozomi stepped back, wide-eyed. Nozomi never stepped back. Holy shit that was awesome. Nico stepped in again, “Nozomi wouldn’t be trying to fish for dirty details on Nico’s love life to _fantasize_ over, would she?”  
  
Nozomi’s face scrunched up. For a moment, Nico thought the girl was going to cry, but when Nozomi covered her face with her hands, her eyes bugged out and she snorted with restrained laughter, all remorse for picking on the girl vanished. Nico sighed,  “Nice. You really know how to make a girl feel good about themselves.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Nozomi managed between giggles, “I jus’… I don’t know how t’respond to that. Oh god…”  
  
“Yeah yeah, yuk it up…” Nico groused, turning back around to the shelves and resumed hovering her hand over each, looking for one that made her feel… something. Then she felt something. Not from her hand, but from Nozomi hugging her from behind.  
  
“I really am sorry,” Nozomi said, sounding sincere.  
  
“Fortunately, it doesn’t matter if you fall for Nico’s charms,” Nico replied breezily, far more annoyed than she felt she should have been, “Nozomi is taken, whether she’s ready to admit that or not.”  
  
Maki… well… Maki had a way of making her forget how she looked. There was no joke behind the sparkle in that girl’s eyes. Just attraction and affection. Sure, it might be all the hard knocks to the head, but for whatever reason, Maki liked her. Wanted her even… strongly enough that Nico could turn off the cute and lay on the allure. Let her hair down, so to speak. That kind of attention was… unfairly addictive.  
  
So sure. It stung to get that kind of reaction from Nozomi. If she’d done that toward her poor concussed girlfriend, Maki would probably hurt herself trying to express her appreciation. Maki was her girlfriend, so other people’s opinions shouldn’t matter.  
  
Shouldn’t.  
  
While Nico further internalized her feelings, Nozomi had relinquished her hold and was back to sighing. It was hard to focus on woomidy-woom stuff with all these distractions… so Nico relented on the insulted silence act to ask, “So… what am I supposed to be feeling again?”

  
  


**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
  
“You’re sure? Really?” Maki prompted, stalling for time as she rapidly shifted through the pages of the deck’s handbook, “That is… oddly specific.”  
  
“I’m just reading the cards as they’d traditionally be read,” Tsu replied, shrugging playfully. “I find it fairly interesting that we’ve already pulled two major arcana for you out of a three card spread.”  
  
Sure enough, the book confirmed Tsu’s assessments of The Emperor and The Devil. Very unsettling assessments of how she viewed her plans for the future. When she was younger, she assumed she was going to step into her parent’s position well equipped and ready to lead with confidence. Just like Papa. Lately, she’d been seriously shirking her responsibilities to that future, chasing after her passions for music and Nico… and not necessarily in that order.  
  
Nozomi’s friend seemed to only find amusement in the dour look Maki most assuredly wore. Tsu clicked her tongue and tapped the deck, “Shall we see what future Maki’s take is on her path ahead?”  
  
“Sure… though I’d like a more in-depth reading after this, if you wouldn’t mind,” Maki said, trying to keep her voice even and not too annoyed.  
  
“Absolutely. I’m glad you’re asking. You seem like a very interesting person,” Tsu chirped as she slid out Maki’s third card and stared, “What do you make of this one?”  
  
The eight of swords. A woman bound and blindfolded while surrounded by blades. Maki’s brow furrowed as she replied, “I don’t think I like that one.”  
  
“What do you think it means?”  
  
“It means I should stay away from people with rope?” Maki deadpanned. The explanations are why she was asking the professional! How was she supposed to know how to take such a depressing image? The Devil had been completely off from what she’d expected and the Emperor felt like a pretty far reach as Tsu was explaining. Who even decided these things?  
  
Tsu seemed amused by the response but didn’t hesitate in correcting, “This suggests you’ll feel stuck. See, the girl is so bound up in herself, unable to see what’s around her, that she’s scared to move. She’s surrounded by threats, so she doesn’t want to risk moving for fear of hurting herself.”  
  
“Seems like a logical conclusion,” Maki deadpanned, tapping the card and it’s many many swords.  
  
“If you look closer, you’ll note that most of them are in line with her. If she’d take even a single step forward, most of those threats fall away.”  
  
“How could she know that? She’s blindfolded,” Maki returned, feeling more and more frustrated at the idea that these illustrations were supposed to be taken so literally and figuratively at seemingly random.  
  
“You’re right,” Tsu shrugged, “This suggests that you would do well to keep your eyes open and consider how to benefit your position in the future. Don’t be willing to stay in an unpleasant situation since most of your troubles could fall away with a single step… even if it hurts.”  
  
Maki only hummed in reply, frowning at the thought of being so helpless. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tsu commenting, “That was a good reading. There’s a lot of energy surrounding you for the cards to respond to. I’m having fun, so thank you for agreeing to this. Is there anything you’d like to focus on for your in-depth? Career? School? Maybe… love?”  
  
Given how charged her thoughts were on the subject lately, there really was only one choice. A quiet indignation at the very thought of stooping to this tried to make itself heard, but failed to find a foothold. That was a mindset from a pre-Nico world. Maki looked around to make sure the other two were still occupied and leaned in to keep her voice low. With red eyes on her mind, she confirmed, “Romance. Specifically, if we’re good for each other.”  
  
If the past few days apart had taught her anything, she wasn’t going to be satisfied with a simple short-lived highschool affair. It had been stupid to think such a thing possible. There’s no way that feelings this strong would be satisfied in so little time. Tsu cracked her smile even wider at Maki’s intensity and restacked her deck before handing it over, instructing, “It sounds like you have something and someone very particular in mind. Shuffle these for me. We’re going to do two spreads. The first one will be, ‘How will their life change because of me?’ Keep shuffling however you see fit while thinking only of that question, that specific wording, until you feel like they’re ready.... ”

  


**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
  
They were down to four options, two standard universal waites, a rabbit themed one, and a love themed deck that was embarrassingly overflowing with sexual imagery. Nico wasn’t sure if she had felt truly drawn to it or if she was just caught by the redhead on the cover.  
  
Nico sat seiza on the floor across from Nozomi who was doing the same. The four decks were spaced apart and Nico was taking a break from waving her hand over them to feel out that charge to rub out any residual sensation.  
  
Nozomi beamed, “I’m really impressed by how seriously Nicocchi is taking this.”  
  
“Nico takes everything seriously. One hundred percent,” Nico replied on auto, still trying to get comfortable with the thought that these sensations and intuition could be considered magic. There’s no way it was that easy. Still, she really liked the idea that magic was something she could physically feel.  
  
“It makes me wish I woulda tried all of this sooner,” Nozomi mused.  
  
“Nico wouldn’t have been ready for it then,” Nico admitted, stretching high and to the left.  
  
“How come?”  
  
“Too angry. Too sad. Last year was a bad year. The year before wasn't that great either,” Nico replied, stretching to the right.  
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t do more...”  
  
“Don’t be. Instead make it up to Nico by continuing to give your best for µ's,” Nico waved off, never taking her eyes off the decks, “You both made me wait a long time for this. Live up to my expectations. They’re pretty high for both of you.”  
  
“Right, right. Nicocchi is… very focused.”  
  
“Like I keep saying, I’ve been waiting a long time for all of this. I have to get this right. Make it count,” Nico replied, finally looking up to Nozomi with a smirk, “We have a lot to do, and since Rinny Rinya, Best Girl, and Maki-chan didn’t get here until recently, we’ve only got this year to work with.”  
  
“It had to be them…” Nozomi agreed.  
  
“You’ve been waiting too, haven’t you?” Nico asked, still eyeing Nozomi.  
  
“I still don’t know how this is going to go. The cards have never been so clear, but it’s making me a little nervous,” Nozomi said, rubbing her arms anxiously.  
  
“Don’t get stage fright on me now, Sexual Healing.”  
  
“Pfft! Wouldn’t that be Nicocchi with her adorable little girlfriend?”  
  
“Maki-chan’s taller than you, nerd,” Nico shot back without heat, returning her attention to the decks and sliding the distracting redhead out of view, “Besides, neither of us go around groping people instead of confessing to their OTL.”  
  
“OTL?”  
  
“One true love. Come on, Nozomi. You’ve gotta be genre-savvy if you’re gonna make quality videos for the group.”  
  
Nozomi let the silence sit for a moment. It helped Nico slide one of the Universal Waite decks out of the way. Only one standard deck and the bunnies remained. This was tough! Everytime she thought she felt a pull in one direction, there would be a static sensation wanting her to pull back.  
  
“Did you confess then? Are you in love?”  
  
So much for concentration. Nico lifted herself up enough to turn and fully face Nozomi. Unfortunately, an immediate reply just… hadn’t come to mind. Nothing witty enough to serve as a joke anyway. It was hard, but Nico kept her face neutral as she watched the other girl. Stall for time. That always helped. Nico kept her voice as straight as her expression as she asked, “Should you really be turning this around? This isn’t about Nico. This is about Nico’s friends being happy and getting to enjoy their carefree school days by filling it with lots of love and kisses.”  
  
Nozomi stayed still. This really was a circular argument. It always was when it came to Nozomi and Eli. Tedious as hell and twice as frustrating. The only two who seemed satisfied with the status quo was Eli, and that’s probably because she kept her opinions locked up tighter than five-time olympic gymnastics champion Kyoko Oda’s magnificent backside.  
  
… jeez, unsealing the libido was _such_ a bad idea...  
  
“Your happiness is important too, Nicocchi. The question stands.”  
  
“Of course Nico is happy,” Nico stated, confusion seeping in, “You might not have noticed, but all of Nico’s dreams are starting to come true. You are being _so weird_ about Maki-chan. Is this about the reading?”  
  
“Yes. As well as others I’ve done since.”  
  
“Why then? Seriously. Nico is getting spoiled by all the open Nozomi talk. Spoil Nico some more. Instead of trying to make the two of us feel awkward with all the teasing, just… just tell me already.”  
  
“Well… Nicocchi… as far as you go…”

  
  


**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
  
“Wow… that is… a really good result. Whoever you’ve got in mind, this is a pretty lucky reading for them. I don’t suppose it’s me, is it?” Tsu teased, adding to the significant blush Maki was trying to stave off.   
  
She knew it was ridiculous to put so much stock in something that just as likely to be chance than it was legitimate divination. Still… the thought that she could be such a positive force in Nico’s life was absolutely thrilling. If she was useful, she wouldn’t be chased away or ignored… not that she was concerned about that or anything. Still, with all of the responsibilities Maki’s future was laden with… with the entirely different lifestyles the two had experienced up until now. It would have been easy to assume that her life could be more trouble than Nico would be willing to put up with in the long run.  
  
Uncle Jiro in particular came to mind.  
  
The earlier realization that the initial formalities of the relationship hadn’t been laid down suddenly felt even more appalling. Sure, they would be almost ridiculous at this point. They’d both been pretty clear with each other about the mutual affection and attraction… even in word. After hearing this?  
  
God, she couldn’t stop smiling!  
  
So much had happened in such a short amount of time. So much of Nico’s demeanor had shifted. All of the awkward hesitation and insecurity she’d shown in the beginning was almost gone… and that last set was supposed to be about the distant future? Nico might have been right about needing her. Needing all of her.  
  
Heart soaring and spirits surging to her internalized soundtrack playing Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder’s Bastian’s Happy Flight, Maki completely accepted not just the idea, but the fact… that together they would make Nico the star she’d always dreamed of being. Dancing on the brightest stage and singing a song that Maki crafted from her heart.  
  
Yeah… this was happening.  
  
“Shall we continue with your end then?” Tsu asked, clearly catching Maki’s glowing enthusiasm… internalized as it was.  
  
“Yes, please.”

  


**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
Nico’s fists were tight at her lap. Her lips were pressed together so hard that they disappeared completely until she ground out, “If you really believe that… then _why_ would you even bring her into this.”  
  
“Honestly? The readings if I didn’t were even worse.”  
  
“Well you know what?” Nico surged, turning to the two decks and noticing immediately which one she was supposed to choose. How had that ever been in question? She stacked them, and continued, “I don’t care _what_ your cards say.”  
  
She was… she was _so_ **_pissed off!_ ** She dropped the decks back in their place, almost slamming _her_ deck into her bag before spinning back around and stomping into Nozomi’s space, moments after the taller girl had stood. Nozomi backpedaled and rightfully so. Nico pushed closer and continued, “I’m glad you told me Nozomi, but I wish you woulda said something sooner.”  
  
“I didn’t know how serious you two were.”  
  
“You skipped class to sit with me on the roof and watched me _bawl my eyes out_ just because I was worried I’d hurt her or took advantage of her. I’m _still_ not sure I didn’t, you know. Of course it’s serious. Of course _I’m_ serious. 100%. Everything. Remember?”  
  
“You’re… definitely enthusiastic, Nicocchi.”  
  
“I am ride or die,” Nico corrected, “... and you all just gave me another life. Yeah, I can’t lose now… but that doesn’t mean I’m letting _any one of you_ lose either. Do you get that? You can walk away from _me,_ but that doesn’t mean I’m walking away from _any_ of you. **_Especially_ ** not Maki-chan. Not now. Not ever. You can thank those cards for their warning, but I will _die_ before I let things get that bad. Do you get me?”  
  
Nozomi’s eyes were tearing up. Nico pressed again, “Do. You. Get. Me? This goes for you too, you know? Your hand was with ours. You’re a member of µ's. I don’t know all my girls very well yet, but you bet your fine ample ass I will. We go even further back. You should know by now just how serious I am about this.”  
  
Nozomi cracked up a bit, which was good. This wasn’t supposed to be intimidation. This was honestly too much honesty in one go as it was. If Nozomi turned around and went snarking about this to everyone, she would use her amped up idol powers to suplex her through the roof or something. Maybe washi-washi _her_ for a change… in front of _Eli._ That’d be good.  
  
“Does _she_ know?”  
  
“If she doesn’t, she will soon. Come on. I got what I came back here for. Let’s go hit up our next stop, a’right? It’s gotten a little too emotional in here for my taste.”  
  
Nico turned and started walking, but had to stop when Nozomi came in from behind, wrapping her arms around for what felt like take-twenty-seven of the girl laying on the affection. It felt good. It meant that Nozomi was getting it. Maybe the message had finally sunk in.  
  
… oooooor she was going for the washi. God dammit.  
  
“You are terrible, you know that?” Nico grumbled, the only reaction she was going to give the girl.  
  
“They haven’t grown at all, but your heart’s about twelve sizes bigger now.”  
  
“Eight. It’s eight sizes bigger. You can let go now.”  
  
“But you seem to be enjoying it so much~”  
  
“They’re getting like that because I’m thinking about throwing you out the window.”  
  
“So _you’re_ the dom, then?”  
  
“Oh... my God.”

 

 

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
  
Tsu’s face said it all. Even before she’d moved on to describe what each of the cards meant, Maki knew this was… not going her way.  
  
The cards themselves were pretty bleak too. Sure, cards like “Death” “The Hanged Man” and “The Tower” _looked_ bad, but they probably had meanings that weren’t as awful as they initially appeared, kind of like “The Devil.” It was the suite cards that were really doing their best to deflate Maki’s optimism. Ten of… wands? … Looked like sticks to her. Three, nine, and ten of swords?  
  
It… well… it looked awful. Then Tsu started explaining it all.  
  
It was almost _comedically_ bad.  
  
“I’m sure there is context I’m missing, but… I’m not altogether certain that this relationship could be called healthy, Maki,” Tsu followed up when Maki didn’t outwardly react.  
  
There wasn’t much internal reaction either. Maybe it was because her spirits had shot so high that all this managed to do was halt that upward momentum. Still… this, if it could be believed, brought up a lot of questions. There probably wouldn’t be enough time for another reading, meaning rephrasing things was out for the moment.  
  
Maki finished off her drink and took a deep breath, “Ah… Well. Thank you for the reading?”  
  
“You’re taking this rather well.”  
  
Maki tried to take another sip from the drink she’d just finished. She frowned at the cup, somehow more offended at it being empty than the deck for claiming she was doomed to self destruction should she remain with Nico, before replying, “This is why I don’t really believe in destiny. Foreknowledge of an event should give you ample time to fix things. This? It just gives me an idea of what to look out for.”  
  
She tapped the spread before her, the heart with the three swords running through it in particular, “This is not set in stone. I get... overwhelmed sometimes. I can take things the wrong way… and I’m not always the most honest person. This? This is a reading for that person… so… I just have to be better than the me this was drawn for… right?”  
  
Maki swallowed. The more she thought about it, the more… intimidating it became. A little scary. She felt small, like when Papa gets too angry and yells about the hospital Board a little too much. It was a good thing those painkillers had settled in and the caffeine was at work. A headache would be awful to pair with this concern.  
  
“Found it!” Nico crowed triumphantly, waving her newfound deck over her head, her voice brilliantly contrasting the pall surrounding Maki and Tsu, “The bunnies almost caught me, but this is definitely the deck for Nico~”  
  
They both looked pretty happy, though Nozomi seemed to be a little flushed for some reason. When Nozomi’s eyes caught sight of the table, her eyes shot wide. Maki was in motion before she realized it, gathering the cards quickly into a single pile to obscure the grim tidings. That awful card with the person stabbed a bunch was on top, so she flipped the whole stack over, badly faking a smile as she replied, “Nice! Was there anything else you wanted to look for while we were here?”  
  
Thankfully, Nozomi was behind Nico, her incredulous expression completely unnoticed as her girlfriend finished up her victory pose with an idol-pitched, “Nope~ Magical girl Nico Nii is good to go. Sorry for taking so long. Did you have fun?”  
  
Thankfully, looking at a happy Nico eased Maki’s fake smile into a real one. Idol power at it’s finest. Maki just hoped that Tsu and Nozomi wouldn’t tip the girl off with their own off expressions. She shrugged and answered, “Reply hazy. Ask again later.”  
  
Nico snorted hard, “God, all my friends are nerds. Come on, let’s check out and go hit the arcaaaade! This girl’s gotta bust out some moves!”  
  
“Right. And we’re the nerds,” Maki shot back, standing and smiling reassuringly toward Tsu who had clearly connected the dots. Not good. Nozomi looked like she was going to be sick. It had been a rough reading, but seriously, wasn’t that giving it a bit too much weight?  
  
Tsu led Nico to the register, apologizing for keeping her waiting as the social retail script took over. As soon as Nico’s back was to her, Nozomi was at Maki’s side asking in a low voice, “So… What was all that about?”  
  
It was tough, but Maki kept her eyes on Nico. It was hard to play off just how much Nozomi was freaking her out right now. As casually as she could muster, Maki replied softly, “Honestly? Something I’m just taking as a warning to not to do things half-heartedly. If I give it my all, I’m sure none of that will be a concern. We can talk about it later. Without Nico, alright?”  
  
“Maki-chan…”  
  
“Please?” Maki tersely replied, not really asking. Sitting had been good, but this tension was quickly burning through whatever tolerance she’d gained from the rest.  Nico’s transaction was almost almost completed before Nozomi’s expression evened out and Maki added, “Thank you…”  
  
“A’right~ Thanks for waiting, Maki-chan,” Nico chirped, twirling the cute bag Tsu had placed her purchase in.  
  
“No problem,” Maki replied as the three exited into the hallway, leaving with a collective wave to their “host.” The hallway to the stairwell was empty… excellent. Painfully aware of Nozomi’s continued attention, Maki held back a little once they reached halfway to the stairs and asked, “Ne, Nozomi. Could you wait for us downstairs? I need to talk to Nico for a minute.”  
  
“Aww, but this is a three person date… I’ll get jealous,” she pouted, puffing her cheeks out.  
  
“What, did all that talk of kissing get you worked up?” Nico teased before slipping into her idol voice and finishing, “All you had to do was ask. I’m sure we could give you this special service… just once~  <3”  
  
“Isn’t that what photo booths are for?” Maki added, beyond grateful for Nico’s powers of levity. Playing along really helped with all the heat that just rushed to her cheeks. Nico was right. If it was that easy to pull her from concern over portends of doom straight into flush face, maybe she really was “fucking thirsty.”  
  
Strangely, Nozomi didn’t seem affected. She just burst out laughing… which was also nice.  
  
“Alright, alright. I’m holding you two to that. I want pictures!”  
  
“Three cute girls like us can’t go to an arcade and NOT hit a booth! Nico wants three rounds. One with each of us as the center~”  
  
“Ooo!” Nozomi hopped, “That _does_ sound fun!”  
  
“I’ll send a copy of the one where we make a Nozomi sandwich to Eli~ You’ll have to tell me what she thinks.”  
  
Nozomi’s face fell into a comedic pout and she stomped off toward the stairs to the sound of a Nico laugh track. There was something to those rumors afterall? After Nozomi retreated into the stairwell, Nico turned with her infectious ‘all is right in the world’ smile and asked, “So, what’s up, beautiful?”  
  
Maki couldn’t help herself. Her hands were already pulling Nico closer by the shirt. It was hard to kiss her properly with how much Nico laughed… and impossible to stop because of how happy she sounded.  
  
This… was important. Nico being happy. Nico wanted to shine to make other people smile, and Maki would do whatever it took to keep her smiling in return. After a moment, Nico settled and returned the kiss, sighing and wrapping her arms around her like it couldn’t be helped.  
  
This was the bliss she wanted. What she’d been waiting for. This feeling of utter contentment… the desire to live in a moment frozen in time. If Heaven were real, it must be an eternity of moments like this.  
  
She... she had it bad.  
  
“Just couldn’t wait, could you Maki-chan?” Nico beamed, only barely pulling away. Bright red eyes, narrowed above her grin, blurred from being so close.  
  
“I love you… so… so much…” Maki breathed, closing her eyes and pressing her forehead to Nico’s. The smaller girl went completely still in her arms as Maki buried her face in her shoulder, “I want you to know… I’m going to do everything in my power to make this work. I’m going to write so much music for you that you’re voice will give out and your feet will fall off…”  
  
Nico finally moved again. Her palms making small circles on her back. Her cheek pressing into her hair as she whispered, “That shouldn’t sound so romantic…”  
  
“Backstage pass. I know what Nico-chan really wants.”  
  
A light snort and a firmer cheek nuzzle.  
  
“I want to share that stage with you, Maki-chan.”  
  
Nico pulled away, sliding her hands up to Maki’s cheeks, “I want the world to see how amazing you are… it’d be a crime to keep you all to myself.”  
  
“And…” Nico paused, brushing Maki’s hair back, “I’m sorry we went about this in the wrong order. I love you too. We’ve only just started and I can’t wait to see how far we go together.”  
  
Nico leaned back in… and Maki knew in her heart that nothing would ever stand in their way.  


\-----------------------------------

 

“Wow. That was faster than I expected. Someone must be good with their hands,” Nozomi teased as the two found her waiting outside.  
  
While Maki weighed how much would be too much to make a joke with, Nico fired back, “Guess you’ll find out in the booth, No-zo-mi-chan~”  
  
“Ara, something so quick is hardly to my tastes,” Nozomi riposted, winking and sliding in to Maki’s other side.  
  
The circle of protection was restored, but it was forged in innuendo. All Maki could manage in response, and she _had_ to respond, was completely insincere, “Ugh. Crude.” There’s no way any real irritation could take hold with the aftermath of the last few minutes.  
  
“I agree,” Nozomi teased, activating her oppai-arm-hug trap card, “Nicocchi should treat you better. Maybe we should all go back to my place after and I can show you both how its done.”  
  
“Oh my god, you are really laying it on this week,” Nico groused, “Did you two get interrupted in the council office or something?”  
  
This was… kind of amazing. Maki knew that Nozomi was Nico’s chosen confidante, but for both of them to be this comfortable firing back and forth over such topics was straight up impressive. How they’d gotten like this without dating was beyond Maki.  
  
“Are you alright, Maki-chan?” Nozomi continued, continuing to lay it on thick since they were still alone on the street, “She wasn’t too rough with you, was she?”  
  
If Nico could hang at that level with Nozomi… then so would she! Maki laced her fingers between Nico’s, pulled her in closer and put on her ‘refined airs’, “Nico-chan knows better than that. If she overstepped in public I’d have to punish her later.”  
  
Nico groaned miserably, “Maki-chan… Come on, don’t feed the troll! She’s going to believe you!”  
  
“So **_you’re_ ** the dom in the relationship? Nicocchi kept dodging the question,” Nozomi preened, grinning at the miraculous shrinking Yazawa, “I bet her struggling expression is lovely.”  
  
Oh crap. Abort. Nozomi was _waaaay_ out of her league. With that subtle suggestion Maki’s imagination was running absolutely wild. Worse, her face immediately started practically steaming and Nozomi had _clearly_ noticed. That cheshire grin was now solely locked on _her_ as she asked, “Have you needed restraints or is she… obedient enough without?”  
  
_Oh god._  
  
“Nozomi. Play nice. You’re gonna fry Maki-chan’s already scrambled brains. She needs those,” Nico interjected, looking strangely proud.  
  
“I was looking forward to Maki-chan’s turn to be center, but maybe I’m looking forward to Nicocchi’s even more. Ne, you wouldn’t mind helping me make _Nicocchi’s_ turn more... _interesting_ , would you? ”  
  
**_Oh god._ **  
  
“Nozomi!” Nico grumbled louder.  
  
Both Nozomi and Nico relinquished their holds on Maki’s arms but remained close as they came rounded the corner leading to the main drag of Akihabara. There may be some serious teasing going down, but there was still common courtesy to observe.  
  
Good thing too. Maki’s head was swimming from all the pressure. If this were some tacky anime, she’d have a nosebleed by now. Instead, she just felt a bit dizzy and nauseous because concussions are stupid. Three emotional extremes in so short a time was a little much… but since she just spent so long sitting her pride wouldn’t allow asking for a breather.  
  
“So,” Maki managed, further embarrassed by the unevenness of her voice and the resulting giggling from Nozomi, “Where are we going again?”  
  
“We’re goin’ to HEY. Hirose Entertainment Yard. I’ve been on a roll at the cranes there lately and it’s not gonna be as crowded as Sega,” Nico replied, coming to the rescue again with a completely innuendo-free response to give Maki time to recover.  
  
“Nicocchi really knows her way around, doesn’t she?”  
  
“It’s like… two and a half blocks from Kanda Myojin. How do you _not_ know where it is?”  
  
“... I haven’t spent my whole life here?”  
  
“Even if it’s just three years you should know that much. You an’ me? We need to expand your horizons,” Nico committed, back to wearing her “Queen of the World” attitude.  
  
“I’ve been here my whole life and I didn’t know about it,” Maki chipped in only a little defensively.  
  
“Yeah, but you were raised to be a study try-hard. A no-fun-zone gal. I’d be surprised if you’ve even been in an arcade. It’s a testament to your artistic spirit that you’re as awesome as you are,” Nico shrugged and then turned up the pride, “It’s not a bad thing. I could sink a month’s allowance in two days at these places before I honed my skills on the way of the crane. Now? Now I can get a huge haul and flip it online for a huge profit. That collection at school? Almost none of it was on the club’s budget.”  
  
“Uwa~ Nicocchi is very impressive,” Nozomi cheered. Maki agreed, but wasn’t sure if that was meant to be sarcastic or not.  
  
“Right? I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason I was allowed to keep the club running while being the only member. Almost zero budget use. Some people make a career of that, you know? Crane flipping? Not this girl, though. Left turn up here.”  
  
“Any idea what you two are thinkin’ for food later?” Nozomi prompted, eyeing some upcoming signage for a curry place, “I can’t remember if it was part of the plan originally, but I’ll treat if need be.”  
  
“That won’t be necessary,” Maki assured, “... and I’d be happy to stay out as late as possible. I’ve been cooped up way too long.”  
  
“You’ll miss all that R &R soon enough,” Nico grinned, “We’re gonna work that cute butt to the bone.”  
  
“You and me both, Maki-chan,” Nozomi admitted, “It’s a lot more work than I expected. I was really surprised.”  
  
“I’m glad I’m not the only one with some catching up to do,” Maki replied, “Did you have anything in mind? For dinner?”  
  
“Maki-chan’s got some good taste. Do you know of anything close by that doesn’t have a dress code or need reservations,” Nico teased.  
  
“Yeah, that might be out of my price range,” Nozomi replied flatly.  
  
Maki shrugged, “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve ever gone to a place here in Aki. If we were taking this to Minato, Ginza, or Roppongi I’d have some suggestions...” The girls were now staring, so Maki followed up with, “... but we’re keeping local, so I’m in your care.”  
  
Oh. That’s a fun thought. Spoiling her friends with ridiculously good food? File that one away for later. Finally something to spend on with that allowance that had been building up.  
  
“Riiiiight. Well, we can go cheap’n’easy or we can make like the cute girls we are and get to a cafe,” Nico suggested.  
  
“Pass on the empty carbs and sugar. Bring on the meat, ladies,” Nozomi grinned.  
  
The three turned and saw a Rin-shaped torpedo rapidly approaching. Maki’s eyes widened. She was coming right at her! That wasn’t Rin. That was death by full-body catgirl tackle. She’d seen her do it to Kayo-chin dozens of times. It would assuredly more than her already jostled brain would be able to handle. Maki started to step back, but it was too late. Time had slowed down. Rin was airborne, Kayo-chin was already mid-call for Rin to stop several paces behind. Nico hadn’t registered the danger, only that Maki had reached out and grabbed her arm with a grip strong enough that it probably hurt.  
  
‘At least I got that confession in,’ Maki morbidly thought before her vision was filled with waves of purple.  
  
“Aww! It’s so good to see you, Rin-chan!” Nozomi cooed, having Za Warudo’ed in to intercept the ballistic Hoshizora. Rin squeaked as Nozomi loosened her impromptu hug and set her back on her feet, “Maki-chan’s still a little delicate right now, so we’re under orders to be careful with her.”  
  
Rin, still processing the magical teleporting Nozomi, blinked and replied, “Oh. Right. Uhh… sorry. Hey there, senpai, Myaki-chan, Nico-chan.”  
  
After a moment, Maki was convinced she was, in fact, not about to die. She let go of poor Nico’s arm and nodded mutely. Hanayo caught up and chipped in with a, “Maki-chan! We didn’t expect to see you up and around so quickly!”  
  
“Yeah, Nyai totally thought you were dead for a minute, there!”  
  
“Almost was again. Thanks Nozomi,” Maki replied, still trying to get her eyes to stop bugging, “This is a nice coincidence.”  
  
… and it was! Now that she was sure that she wasn’t seconds from brain-death, getting to spend time with the two people she’d been trying to bridge a friendship with for the longest since arriving at Otonokizaka sounded fantastic. Especially calm, patient, and gentle Kayo-chin.  
  
“Nyao all we need is for the others to show up and it’ll be a full µ's surprise tour!” Rin chirped, seeming to have already put the incident behind her and looping an arm around Hanayo, “What brings you three out here, nya?”  
  
Nico, still rubbing her arm, replied, “Break Dance Re:Evolution, baby. I gotta set the bar for our most sedentary member~”  
  
“Hey!” Maki shot back, “Rude.”  
  
“Hey, you knew who I was talking about, sweet cheeks. The name must fit somehow.”  
  
Maki groaned as Rin and Hanayo giggled. She started fishing through her bag for some ear-plugs, another Mama-enforced requirement for entering high volume areas. Honestly, how hard could some dance game be?  
  
  
\-----------------------------------

 

Holy shit.  
  
Maki’s eyes could barely process the arrows flying past the screen, let alone have the time to relay that information to her legs. Maki’s assessment of Nico raised even higher as she and Rin battled it out, side by side.  
  
“I love watching Rin-chan play,” Hanayo confessed, having leaned in close to counter the ear plugs, “She’s so energetic that she really gets into stuff like this.”  
  
“She’s...  pretty good,” Maki admitted. No wonder Mama didn’t want her on these things. Nico-chan’s pigtails were all over the place from her frenzied hopping.  
  
“Nico-chan’s pretty good too, isn’t she?” Hanayo added. There was some weight to the question, but Maki was a bit too overstimulated to get a read on why.  
  
“She’s not bad,” Maki agreed, averting her eyes because the fast-moving visuals were just too much for her at the moment. Instead, she turned to Hanayo. Surprised, she leaned back when she saw just how intently Hanayo was watching her instead of the two at the machine.  
  
“She talks about you a lot, you know.”  
  
“Is that right?” Maki asked nervously.  
  
“She thinks very highly of you, though I suppose that isn’t unusual for you, is it Maki-chan?”  
  
“I… wouldn’t say that.”  
  
As the exchange went on, Hanayo’s expression continued to grow more and more confident and amused. She leaned back, returning her gaze to Nico and Rin. After a moment, Maki also relaxed, but kept her eyes on Kayo-chin. Too many arrows. Too much Nico leg and wildly bouncing hair.  
  
“I’m happy for you two.”  
  
Shit.  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
“Of course. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Hanayo confided, “I’m in the same situation, you know? It can be hard to keep a secret like that… especially when you love someone so much. I thought maybe you might feel the same.”  
  
Rin wailed in defeat, demanding a rematch where she got to pick the first song. Ever-confident, Nico acquiesced, but made Rin pay for the next round. Maki and Hanayo made sure to call out their support (which seemed to stoke their fires to unreasonable heights) and the next couple of minutes were secured. A quick scan of the room found Nozomi chatting with an aging man by the lottery token games, taking time once in a while to text. Probably someone she knew from the shrine.  
  
Anyway, sharing secrets makes friendships stronger, right?  
  
“I… might know what you’re talking about,” Maki finally replied, “Sometimes it’s hard to not brag about her.”  
  
Hanayo beamed, “Rin and I have been close forever. I wouldn’t be half the person I am without her.”  
  
“I don’t know about that,” Maki chided, “Even half of you would be more appealing than most of the people in our class.”  
  
“I don’t know if you’re being sweet to me or cruel to everyone else,” Hanayo laughed. Unlike Nico, whose rich voice had a range capable of attaining incredible heights but seemed to settle a touch deeper than average, Kayo-chin was a silver bell. Charming and comforting.  
  
“Rin’s a lucky girl. I’m… grateful that the two of you gave me a chance.”  
  
More laughter, “You’re so serious all the time! Maybe we can work that into your idol persona. It’s going to be so much fun finding a niche for you.”  
  
“You’ll have to explain that to me when it’s a little quieter,” Maki minded, gesturing to all the ruckus around them.  
  
“Absolutely. I know you’re busy, but how often do you have free time after school?”  
  
“It depends on how late you stay up. Why do you ask?” Maki prompted, marveling at how easily the conversation was flowing. Kayo-chin was so friendly!  
  
“Well, there’s only so much we can do at school, and I understand that you, Sonoda-senpai and Minami-senpai are working together during club hours. Nico-chan, Rin-chan and I are supposed to get you caught up, so…”  
  
“So you need to meet up after school. Right,” Maki agreed. This was getting a little crazy though. Composing and classwork was intense on its own. Throwing dating, socializing, dancing and choreography into the mix? Ugh, too much to think about right now.  
  
Maki leaned in against Hanayo, rubbing her eyes and adding, “We’ll make it work.”  
  
“If you and Nico-chan were to need somewhere to go, Rin-chan and I could help…”  
  
“Does... she know too?”  
  
“Oh, no. No. Rin-chan just thinks you’re good friends.”  
  
Maki alternated between biting her lip and twirling her hair as she asked, “Could you… help keep it that way?”  
  
“That shouldn’t be too hard… except that it’s clear that Nico-chan is crazy about you.”  
  
Maki had to close her eyes altogether. The background noise, diluted as it was through the plugs, was exacerbating the tension of juggling secrecy with indulgence. After a steadying breath or two to keep the nausea down, Maki replied, “What… would you suggest that I do? Nico-chan says that idols aren’t supposed to… you know… do that. She says everything is fine, but I don’t want to make things hard for her due to my ignorance.”  
  
A cool and unbelievably soft hand rested over her’s. Hanayo’s voice was close again, secretly thrilling, as she whispered, “I have an idea or two that might work well for you two. We’ll talk about it later. For now… just be yourselves. If you need to rest, go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
“Thanks, Kayo-chin…” Maki replied, giving more of her weight over.  
  
Hanayo sounded so happy as she assured, “Anytime, Maki-chan.”  
  
  
  
  
\-----------------------------------

A/N:  
  
I am so… so sorry about the title of this chapter.  
I’m also, so incredibly sorry for the JoJo reference.  
  
The conventions were great, but very busy. Between that and work… I’m pretty seriously worn out. It was bad enough that this week’s comic updates were behind by two days!!

 

This is extra bad because I have plans to get something out for Valentine’s Day… and barring that, the much bigger White Day short that I’ve been fiddling with since December. Both of those are set in a separate timeline from the Maki and Nico we’re getting to know in this one. Shouldn’t hamper the update rate of Nishikino too much, which I know is kinda slow. Hopefully they’re worth the wait!


	13. Idol Persona: Dance Like You Want to Win!

**Nishikino Maki**

 

A week and a half later, the whole of µ's, nine members strong, was gathered in the club room for pre-practice scheduling. It wasn’t the first time they’d fully assembled, but this was a very important gathering. Aside of their songwriter being cleared for (light) physical activity, several meta aspects of the fledgeling idol group was about to be decided, or so Nico had warned Maki the night before.   
  
Nico, as had become the usual, had taken the lead on the discussion. Standing by the whiteboard currently set by the entrance, she had written (in bold letters, underlined three times, and outlined in red) two words.   
  
**Persona**   
  
**Sponsorship**   
  
Nico thwapped the board with the capped marker, dramatically reclaiming everyone’s attention, and imperiously announced, “Idol Personas. More than the skirts and frills,  _ THIS _ is your armor. It’s your shield, your lure, and the weapon that will carry you  _ way _ past than any pre-established talent or skill you’ve got.”   
  
She began to pace around the perimeter of the room as she continued, “A carefully cultivated and strictly adhered to personality. One that you create for the audience. It should come naturally, but also be different from who you really are. It will protect the privacy of your personal life and protect your fans from all of the character flaws that make you human.”   
  
“That’s… rather cynical, don’t you think?” Eli asked, receiving nods of support from Umi, Rin, and Honoka, “Wouldn’t it be best to be yourself? It seems unfair to give people an unrealistic idea of who they’re cheering for”   
  
Maki restrained a sigh. Nico had predicted this, almost word for word, and had practiced her response over the phone  _ exhaustively _ during a 4-way conversation with her, Kayo-chin and Rin. She was pretty sure Rin tapped out about twenty minutes in.   
  
“An excellent suggestion. Noble and virtuous, but ultimately  _ naive _ . Hanayo, if you would?”   
  
Glasses on and fully in her element, Hanayo stood and spoke like she was reading from a textbook, “Idol personas aren’t about deception, they’re about wish fulfillment. An idol needs to stand above human flaws. Some flaws are considered charming, and are deeply sought after traits in some circles. Ultimately, these are very limited in scope. The moment an idol becomes a real person with real needs, their allure is lost.”   
  
“Or worse,” Nico continued, “Remember, an idol exists to make  _ others _ smile. It is alright for an idol to be shy, but not if it goes past that idol’s ability to be brought out of that shell for the audience. It’s a superficial shyness. Same goes with grouchiness for the tsundere crowd, crazy-cakes for the yandere and chuuni crowds, and sappy affection for the derederes. They’re highly desired personalities, but only if doesn’t inconvenience the fantasy.”   
  
“So, Puni Funi Nyan Paw…?” Rin began to ask.   
  
“None of them are really like that, Rin-chan…” Hanayo admitted, laying a hand on Rin’s shoulder to help soften the blow. Yup. Rin had  _ definitely _ passed out early on.   
  
“I’m still not sure I like it,” Umi interjected, “It feels too much like lying to me.”   
  
“I think I get it,” Honoka chipped in, “Your love arrow shooter thing! It isn’t a lie, but how often are you really like that?”   
  
“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that,  _ Honoka _ ,” Umi shot back with a forced smile, “But... that does supply a little context.”   
  
“I’m guessing you already have something in mind then? For all of us?” Eli wearily prompted to a beaming Yazawa Nico.   
  
“Uh. Sh’yeah,” Nico replied as if it were obvious, “Some more than others, but I definitely have some thoughts on the subject. Don’t worry, they’re going to wait until I see what you’ve all got in mind for yourselves. These won’t work unless you can keep the fantasy rollin’ on your own.”   
  
“I have some ideas too,” Hanayo added, “... if you get stuck.”   
  
“Ohh! Me first!” Honoka cheered, hand up.   
  
“Oh, so we  _ are _ doing this as a group?” Kotori asked, smirking at Honoka’s enthusiasm.   
  
“I’m totally going to be the cool-type ronin-style loner like from Three for the Kill!” Honoka announced. She stood and struck a dramatic pose, “A tragic wandering swordswoman, running away from the ghost of her former love and trying to atone for her bloodied past by lending her blade to those in need! Never staying to listen to any thanks, forever on the road!”   
  
“How... is that  _ anything _ like you?” Umi groaned.   
  
“That doesn’t sound very happy, either,” Nozomi noted.   
  
“It’s an attractive aesthetic,” Kotori placated.   
  
“... You goin’ solo on us, Kousaka?” Nico asked dryly.   
  
“... Oh. Right. Group,” Honoka admitted, deflated, “It just seems like such a dynamic personality to play out.”   
  
Maki sighed and chipped in, “Of everyone here, you should probably just be yourself more than anything else.”   
  
“Eh?” Honoka cried in disappointment.   
  
“Normally I’d disagree, but Maki-chan is right. A natural like you? You’re usual state is about as idol-like as they come… when you’re motivated anyway,” Nico admitted, totally not bitter.   
  
“It’s true, none of us would be here doing this if it wasn’t for you,” Eli praised, “Except Nico, because she’s a maniac.”   
  
“Me too!” Hanayo preened.   
  
“Hey, if I could make this work on my own, Otonokizaka wouldn’t be in the shape it’s in now,” Nico shrugged.   
  
“It’s safe to say that this wouldn’t be happening if even a single one of us was missing,” Umi assured.   
  
“That’s what  _ I _ said,” Nozomi chipped in.   
  
“I call dibs on being the pure one,” Kotori spoke up, trying to redirect the conversation back to the topic at hand.   
  
“Define pure,” Nico replied, turning to Kotori with her voice loud enough to redirect everyone’s attention, “I see it, I like it, but what does that mean to you?”   
  
Kotori counted down on her fingers, “Likes cute things, always uses soft and happy tones and inflections, only speaks of love and affection innocently.”   
  
Nico pointed dramatically with her marker, “I don’t just like it, I  _ love _ it! Ten points to Slytherin. That’s what I’m talkin’ about girls. This is your  _ public face. _ ”   
  
“Umi-chan should be the warm, brave, dependable big sister type,” Honoka cheered, clinging to Umi’s side and rubbing cheeks.   
  
“Honoka!” Umi cried, squirming under the affectionate assault.   
  
“Elicchi is absolutely the cool type,” Nozomi teased.   
  
“I’m bringing the energy and cheer, nya!” Rin proclaimed, “My idol code is high spirits and loving Kayo-chin!”   
  
“You’re going to be absurdly popular,” Nico groused, having flipped the white board over to begin scribbling down character points as they were called out, “Also, Nozomi, no fan-service types.”   
  
“Not where I was going,” Nozomi deadpanned before dramatically fanning her cards in front of her face and lowering her voice, “I will be the distantly affectionate and wise mystic that knows  _ all _ of your secrets but likes you regardless.”   
  
“Damn,” Nico replied, wide-eyed, “That’s… actually pretty good.”   
  
“I’d like to follow in Minami-senpai’s style, only more me,” Hanayo offered.   
  
“By that you mean extra shy, nya?” Rin teased.   
  
“Love it,” Nico affirmed, “The second stage of this will be how our characters interact with one another, so overlap isn’t a bad thing. Just make sure you have enough oomph in your role to make it your own.”   
  
“What about you, Nico-senpai?” Rin asked.   
  
“Oh no,” Eli whispered.   
  
“Really?” Maki sighed.   
  
“Here we go…” Nozomi grinned.   
  
Nico matched that feral grin, “I’m  _ so _ glad you asked…”

  
  


**\------------**

  
  
  


Identities mostly sorted out, with a few stragglers (Maki included) remaining vague, Nico flipped the board back over to the circled topics, slapped “Persona” with a check mark, and re-circled “Sponsorship.”   
  
“That was fun, and I want you all to keep thinking about that for a while, but we’re going to take a break and talk about the business side of what we’re doing.”   
  
“Eh?!” several of the girls exclaimed, but were promptly ignored.   
  
“Sponsorship is a very touchy subject, particularly surrounding school idols, but almost as crucial as our own personal time and financial investments,” Nico began, immediately dropping Eli and Umi’s jaws, “Since we’re all minors, most sponsors take indirect approaches to avoid entangling themselves in labor laws. Most support comes in the form of publicized interviews, articles, and sometimes even raw material supplies for costumes since it can count as a scholastic donation and serve as a write-off.”   
  
That got Kotori’s attention, but Nico continued, “Most people think of sponsorship as being paid to become part of a label’s brand, advertising their products directly by being seen using their products. Again, labor laws have made this difficult for them to capitalize on school idols, but they’re working on it. Specific merchandising is still in the works, but only a few businesses have dared to try. For the time being, it’s the publications we should be aiming for.”   
  
“Everyone is always looking for the next big thing. The new name, the hottest act. School idols have had a few years to establish themselves as a potential talent pool that could produce that next sensation, so we’re actually picking a  _ really _ good time to start pushing a new idol brand. Big name groups like A-RISE have been getting a lot of attention, which in turn only increases their popularity.”   
  
“So you gotta be big to get big?” Nozomi asked, elbowing Eli who was still gaping exaggeratedly at hearing all of this come from Nico.   
  
“Close. You’ve gotta be  _ seen _ to get big,” Nico amended, “The trick is to be visible, catch the right attention, and have the content that keeps ‘em comin’ back. How many of you  _ actively _ use social media?”

Only Nico, Kotori, and Hanayo raised their hands.   
  
“Yeah, that’s gonna have to change,” Nico proclaimed, “If we’re going to make this group the best it can be, and in turn save this school, we have to be our own biggest promoters. Those idol personas’ll go to waste if we aren’t out there for people to appreciate. See one of us three to help set yourselves up with an account. We’ll go over proper tagging later, but for now, just click around to figure out how these things work. We’ll start with actually making use of your Line homepages and how to use Twitter.”   
  
“This is a lot of not dancing work, nya,” Rin pouted as she handed Hanayo her phone.   
  
Umi, looking nervous, asked, “Are we going to be using these accounts as ourselves or as our personas?”   
  
Nico looked sympathetic, “I’m going to suggest the personas. Some of us have already left plenty of evidence of our personal interests online, but for most of you this is a fresh start. Having two different faces from the beginning could be confusing for your watchers.”   
  
Maki rubbed her eyes, wondering just how many of the meetings she’d missed were this dense in content. It was a little daunting and she was relieved that she wasn’t the only one that seemed to feel that way.   
  
Hanayo, still tapping away at Rin’s phone, leaned into Maki’s side and asked, “Do you need any help with this?”   
  
In a low voice, Maki replied, “Maybe with Twitter. I have an account, but I’ve only used it to watch people. I can bug Nico about it later, your hands are gonna be full with Rin over there.”   
  
“You’re not wrong,” Hanayo agreed and it felt good to hear her pick up the phrase. She’d never heard Kayo-chin using it before, and phrase adoption was absolutely a sign of friendship.   
  
Nico’s voice rose up again, magazines in hand, “Right now, there are five regular big name magazines that regularly publish content concerning school idols. Paradise Kiss has a two-page spread it dedicates to a monthly school highlight that often includes its idol group; Doma Don Life runs a bi-monthly popular culture section that includes a top twenty listing of school idol groups; Dengeki G’s Magazine has monthly in-depth interviews with members of some of the most popular groups; My Life Free Magazine has a top fifty list with a brief highlight on the latest with the top five; and there’s Young Girls Style that is killer with middle school and younger audiences and frequently does  _ adorable _ pieces portraying school idols as inspirational role models.”   
  
She laid the bookmarked magazines on the table to pass around, “Appearing in any one of these is a surefire way to instantly increase the group’s popularity. I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I wanted you all to read through a few interviews in PK, Dengeki, and YGS. It might help you develop your own personas.”   
  
“In case you were wondering, the Love Idol Tracker rankings? From the app?” Nico clarified, “That’s what Doma Don and MLF pull their lists from. The fact that we’ve put out so little content so far, with so few of us, and are already so high on the tracker is  _ really _ promising.”   
  
“Is that why you’re bringing this up now?” Eli asked, critically eyeing an interview with A-RISE’s Tsubasa Kira.   
  
“That’s right. I didn’t want to bother you all with this too early on,” Nico explained, “But if we’ve got some momentum goin’, we need to capitalize on it as soon as possible. Fads, memes, and fledgeling idols come and go with the tides. If we’re getting our thirty seconds of fame early on, we need to make sure we’re primed to stay afloat.”   
  
“You can post video to Twitter?” Nozomi asked, surprised.   
  
“How… did you not know that?” Kotori gaped.   
  
“I use Line! We should have an official group twitter then that cross posts to Line and the Love Idol site,” Nozomi mused, “... and when one of us makes a good enough post we can share it across the board.”   
  
“Kind of like casting a net!” Honoka exclaimed, “People who are interested in one of us can get to know  _ all _ of us!”   
  
As the others quickly began shooting ideas back and forth, Nico sat between Nozomi and Maki, sighing in apparent satisfaction.   
  
“That went well,” Maki commended, low so as not to draw attention.   
  
“These girls are monsters,” Nico replied in wonder, also keeping quiet as the group connected dots and bounced ideas around, “I know I’ve been saying it a lot lately, but I really think µ's doesn’t just stand a chance… it’s gonna be  _ huge _ .”   
  
“So… about the persona thing,” Maki began, hesitating as she looked away and began twirling her hair, “Thanks for not calling me out for not knowing what to go with yet.”   
  
“You’ve been busy,” Nico shrugged, “You’re the only one of us juggling school, cram school, an internship, writing  _ all  _ of the music,  _ me _ , and more importantly  _ a concussion _ . We’ll figure it out.”   
  
There was definitely more to it all than just being busy.   
  
When the structure of the meetings broke down like this and freeform conversations broke out left and right, it always became overwhelming. Too much to focus on at once, so Maki’s concentration would just shut down, incapable of zeroing in on much of anything. It was concerning, almost frustrating, given how much she was coming to like this group. Just… having the whole of them at once...   
  
“Oh, Maki?” Eli leaned in, Nozomi leaning back to make room, “Are you doing alright with just Nico and Rin to help you catch up with the dance practice?”   
  
Smiling reassuringly, but mostly at the opportunity to take a shot at Nico, Maki replied,“It’s going alright since Kayo-chin’s there too.”   
  
“Good. Would you mind if I stopped in as well?”   
  
“What, are you worried we’re not up to it?” Nico challenged playfully.   
  
“I’m just concerned you’ll miss out on a few basics that could help with her flexibility. Not to be rude, but you seem a little stiff,” Eli offered, her smile dropping into a pout as Nozomi started using her head as a hand-rest as she continued setting up µ's social accounts.   
  
“I’d be happy to have additional perspectives,” Maki demurred, though the thought of having additional chances to connect with the final member of µ's was far higher on the list.   
  
Eli flashed her a winning grin and pulled away, leaving Maki with a warm face and a raised eyebrow/smirk combo from Nico who mouthed the words, “Told you so.”

  
  
  


**\------------**

  
  
  


As inconvenient as it was, there was a comforting intimacy to be sharing a single sink. With her parents out for the night (back to a primarily nocturnal shift… again…) and her homework actually caught up on, Maki had taken Nico up on her offer for a night back at the Yazawa’s. Almost immediately after getting in, the two excused themselves to the restroom. Nico, to strip off most of her makeup in preparation for her weekly face mask; Maki, to remove everything that wasn’t dedicated to sealing “Tanuki Maki” away from the kids.   
  
“So. Eli, huh?” Nico teased.   
  
“Don’t be a jerk,” Maki shot back without heat.   
  
“I’m just sayin’! Not surprised either. Just, you’re kind of a mass of contradictions there, Princess Nishikino.”   
  
Maki asked for clarification with a raised eyebrow, which Nico obliged in a low voice, “I’ve… accepted that you’ve got the hots for me. You’ve made that  _ super _ clear. That explains your attraction to Rinny Rin-nya too. Totally understandable.”   
  
“Go on,” Maki prompted, moving on to wiping down her lips as she checked her neck for any bruising that may need re-concealed.   
  
“But then I see you makin’ the eyes at Hanners, Umi, Nozomi, and now getting blushy around Eli. I guess I’m just tryin’ to peg your tastes here.”   
  
Thoughts to voice, no hesitation, “My  _ tastes _ aren’t the issue here. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not an unattractive girl or woman in the entire school.”   
  
“So what’s the deal? Does being around the  _ illustrious _ Yazawa Nico do it for you so much that everyone looks good by proxy?” Nico prompted, “Not that you looking around is an issue. I’m actually kinda glad for that. Makes me feel less guilty for keepin’ up on my K boys.”   
  
“I don’t know,” Maki shrugged, but not quite able to shake the feeling that she should be feeling guilty about it, “I used to have a better handle on this… but now? Now I keep  _ noticing _ things. All the time. It’s frustrating. I can’t turn it off when I’m around  _ any _ of them.”   
  
In a somehow smaller voice, with clearly forced levity, Nico continued, “Makes sense. µ's is full of some of the cutest girls around. Maybe Nico just needs to step up her game a little.”   
  
Guilt slammed deeper, but fortunately not in a crippling way. Maki turned to the door, flipped the lock on, turned back to a very wide eyed Nico and stepped into her space with a hushed but stern, “It doesn’t  _ matter _ who makes me blush.”   
  
Maki’s hands kept busy by undoing two more buttons on her own uniform’s blouse as she continued, “It doesn’t matter how  _ cute _ everyone else is.”   
  
Nico backed away from Maki’s increasingly intense voice, “... and it  _ definitely _ doesn’t matter how hard you  _ try _ .”   
  
Maki reached up and held Nico’s face in place by the cheeks, “I’m with  _ you. _ You’re with  _ me _ . I  _ like _ it that way. Got it?”   
  
“Of course you do,” Nico boasted, but the voice didn’t carry and the expression wasn’t convincing.   
  
“I like  _ you _ . Sure, I’d like to get alone with you a little more often, but I don’t know if that would stop other people having an effect on me.”   
  
“You  _ are _ kinda insatiable,” Nico agreed, continuing to lean on comedy to smooth over her discomfort.   
  
“Just… don’t worry about me trying to “ _ satiate” _ with anyone else… okay?” Maki assured, her voice softening, “I like Nico-chan best… she’s beautiful and annoying and sexy and getting turned on by other people makes me want to take it out on  _ her _ .”   
  
Now Nico was blushing, “Okay… could have done without the annoying bit...”   
  
“And after we get to bed, I’ll make sure to  _ remind _ you of this,” Maki teased with a wink.   
  
“Oh come on,” Nico groaned, “Trying to keep quiet sucks…”   
  
Maki leaned in for a quick peck and pulled back, “No, you just suck at it… but it’s hot to watch you try. Now, how far off do you think I  _ really  _ am from being able to train with everyone else?”   
  
“Honestly?” Nico replied, clearly relieved to be back to idol business, “Probably one or two more sessions and you’ll be caught up with Hanayo as far as your stamina goes. I’m actually really glad Eli’s tapping in because she has some serious experience with this stuff. Like,  _ I’ll _ be paying attention while she’s tutoring you.”   
  
“If she’s so good, how come she’s not handling the choreography?”   
  
“Between Umi and Eli, we’ve got a fundamentalist dream when it comes to classical dance forms… but both Rin an’ ah’ve got ‘em beat by a mile when it comes t’current trends.”   
  
Maki smirked, “You’ve been hanging around Nozomi a lot lately. You’re picking up her accent.”   
  
“I knooooow!” Nico whined, “It sucks! It doesn’t sound as cute from me as it does her since I can’t commit.”   
  
“So we let Umi and Eli drill us on basics and let you two handle actual dance arrangements?” Maki redirected.   
  
“Like I said, we’ve got a hell of a team here. We’re gonna be the best looking, best moving, best  _ sounding _ group the world’s ever seen!” Nico proclaimed, hugging onto Maki from behind, “... on that  _ note _ , how goes the music front?”   
  
“Ugh,” Maki groaned, rolling her eyes at the pun, “I’ve got some fairly solid arrangements laid out for four more, but like I’ve said before. All of this idol stuff is  _ way _ outside of what I usually work with and listen to.”   
  
“Yeah,” Nico replied, suddenly somber, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that for a while now.”   
  
The tone caught Maki off guard, Nico’s cheek was pressed into her back, so there was no way to see how sincere her voice was. After a moment, she prompted, “What about?”   
  
“Your music… what you listen to anyway. I couldn’t believe that those were your favorites after listening to Susume Tomorrow, Aishiteru Banzai, and Start Dash.”   
  
Confused, Maki replied, “Two of those were written by Umi.”   
  
“Yeah, and the other for your lost amour~”   
  
“Hey,” Maki warned, snapping her makeup case shut, “What’s this all about?”   
  
“... Later. Cotaro’s probably dying to get back to clinging on you.”   
  
It was going to be like that, eh? With a sigh and a smirk for show, Maki shot back, “Don’t be jealous. They’ll get tired of their new big sister soon enough.”   
  
Nico matched her sigh and hugged tighter, “Not a chance, pretty girl. God, I wish I could just… introduce you to them like that.”   
  
“If they could keep it under wraps, I wouldn’t mind,” Maki smiled, leaning back, “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”   
  
After a moment, in an almost imperceptibly quiet voice, Nico replied, “I believe you.”   
  
Before Maki could reply, or turn around to express her sudden explosion of affection, the door shuddered as two pairs of tiny hands pounded away.   
  
“How long are you two gonna be  _ in there!? _ **”** Cocoa demanded.   
  
“Gotta peeeee!” Cotaro called with alarming urgency.   
  
Both girls straightened up and immediately packed away their things. Maki called out an apology, Nico blamed Maki for having such a big pancake face and started a playful bickering that had the two kids outside giggling by the time they walked out.

  
  
  


**\------------**

  
  
  


Not long after, Maki was reclining on the couch, Cocoa resting between her legs with her head propped up by a pillow at Maki’s waist and reading the latest issue of Young Jump while Cotaro had claimed her arm and held on while the two watched their way through a box set of PreCure.   
  
It was a curious kind of bliss. Time at the Yazawas always reminded Maki of the importance of casual physical contact. She was pretty sure Nico appreciated the kids being distracted by her… and as time went on perhaps the break from her own unnecessarily clingy self.   
  
It was embarrassing, but… it was hard to find the will to keep herself from gravitating toward the girl. Arms brushing, hips bumping, hand holding, hair ruffling… all of it both fulfilling and telling of a constant growing need for more. With the kids, there was none of that. Just… comfortable casual rough housing or lazing around that didn’t require words or even much in the way of thinking.   
  
“Are you doing alright over here? Can I get you anything?” Cocoro offered, rounding the couch and smiling apologetically at the scene. She  _ was _ kind of pinned down.   
  
“I’m good, thank you though,” Maki replied, all smiles because for the moment it was absolutely true, “When did you want to break into that English homework?”   
  
“After dinner? You don’t have to…” Cocoro demurred, because she was  _ fantastic _ with social protocol.   
  
“No problem, though I’m not that great at pronunciation myself…” Maki admitted, “I’ll do my best.”   
  
Cotaro tugged on her arm, making sure her attention was on the screen as the transformation sequence stock footage was nearly over. Cocoro noticed, winked, and walked back toward the kitchen where Nico was hard at work on dinner. It seemed like Nico was  _ always _ working when she was at home. If it weren’t for the youngest two Yazawas confusing attachment to her, she’d be inclined to take the opportunity to horn in on Nico’s space and maybe pick up a little kitchen-craft.    
  
Maybe.   
  
Probably not.   
  
It’d be hard to focus with her flirty girlfriend flaunting her skill in something she’s knowledgeable in. That always kicked up Nico’s confidence to to almost comedic levels and she’d try to throw in some over-the-top flair that tended to backfire in the most endearing way. Well… maybe not always endearing, but Maki could admit to being a little biased. She found all the Yazawas to be completely adorable in their own ways.   
  
One trait the family seemed to share that  _ couldn’t _ be attributed to bias was how much heat they put out. Every one of them were like tiny tiny furnaces. Whether it was a lazy pile like she was part of now or late night snuggling, Maki could count on feeling toasty… and being toasty meant extra drowsiness to be capitalized on.   
  
Sure, the kids were always lively enough that naps didn’t really get to be a thing. Anytime they’d get too comfortable, one or the other would launch into some new activity that would require attention. Also, full-body spooning with her girlfriend filled her with too much of  _ other _ kinds of energy that she’d give in to until Nico would plead exhaustion… and then she’d be up for at least another hour just savoring her warmth and breathing her in. The amazing thing was that after that hour, she’d actually sleep.    
  
Every time.   
  
Sure, there were only seven times they’d been able to arrange sleepovers, which wasn’t much of a sample size (tonight would be number 8~), but some of those had been consecutive nights! Consecutive nights of sleep were  _ incredibly _ rare… and had been since she was Cocoa’s age. Maki would have pushed for more shared nights for that alone if it wasn’t for how drained poor Nico would be the following day. Poor girl really didn’t do well with less than seven hours. Less than six was brutal.   
  
Ah well. That just meant they’d have to start going to bed sooner!   
  
As Cure Purple, Maki hadn’t caught on to their names yet, finished kicking the bad guy around and started her stock footage attack animation, the back of the couch settled. Nico had bent over the back and was playing with Cocoa’s hair, recollecting it into her side ponytail as the girl watched along with Cotaro, her magazine forgotten. Dinner must be nearly finished.   
  
This feeling… this wonderful, comfortable, familial, purely domestic feeling. This was a bliss that made so many previously unrelatable songs start to make much more sense.   
  
She just couldn’t stop smiling.

  
  
  


**\------------**

  
  


  
Everyone’s homework was finished. Dinner was enjoyed and cleaned up after. Teeth were brushed, pajamas donned, and a small audience was huddled around the Casio where Maki’s fine-tuning of Yuujou No Change had turned into a sing-along.   
  
She had started the process wearing headphones but, after being caught humming along and occasionally mouthing the lyrics one too many times, Nico kifed the headset and played the “I want to start practicing my new song as soon as possible” card.   
  
Obviously, this unheard of opportunity to see their big sister doing some real idol training couldn’t be ignored. The duet quickly became a clumsy chorus that may have been less productive, but was  _ way _ more fun. When Ikuko got home and found her newly expanded roster of children up a smidge later than they really should be and belting out a song in unison (mostly on key), she caught the  _ biggest  _ smile.   
  
Even Cotaro was singing along! Getting that kid to speak in full sentences was hard enough, but to hear him singing along with the others!? One hundred percent bliss.   
  
She’d let the youngest three off with mild chidings of being up so late, apparently too grateful to see them to be truly upset. While Nico took charge of getting them ready for bed, Maki started in on preparing nightcap hot chocolates while Ikuko changed out of her work clothes.   
  
Extra tiny marshmallows and a chocolate mint in Nico’s cup, a splash of Baileys in Ikuko’s, and double the milk in hers mostly to cool the drink down to tolerable levels. Stupid cat’s tongue. It had taken three overnight stays before Maki successfully managed to get the balance for the two Yazawas right and was now a task she took very seriously. Not necessarily because it was a solemn task, but more just because if she  _ didn’t _ pay close attention, her mind would wander and she’d end up giving a Bailey’s mint cocoa to Nico or marshmallow Bailey’s with milk to Ikkuko-san.   
  
There was a lot on her mind, okay?   
  
As was becoming the norm during these visits, the two older Yazawas arrived at the same time after tucking in the kids for the night. Apparently, when Maki isn’t around, this end-of-night cocoa is their catch-up time. An opportunity to unwind, let hair down, speak frankly and honestly, and dish on the latest gossip they hadn’t had the opportunity to share yet.   
  
It sounded amazing, having a relationship like that with your parent. A supportive, older friend that loves and encourages you. That believes in your dreams as if they were an inevitability. Seeing their bond explained a lot about Nico’s ability to convey confidence where there wasn’t always much reason for it to exist. Her mother had her back unconditionally, choosing to fully support whatever path Nico set her heart upon rather than lay out a path and expect for her to follow.   
  
It was kind of magical.   
  
Maki waited for the two, running through some much needed post-piano arm and shoulder stretching. It was a  _ really  _ good night… and this was a ritual she’d come to really look forward to. It felt… familiar. Comfortable. Adultish? It reminded her of the late nights where her parents would come home, huddle around cups of coffee to take the edge off, gripe about Takeo in accounting, and check in with her about her day before heading back in for the graveyard shift.

It’d been years since the last late night with Mama and Papa.   
  
“Hey there, Bean. Why the long face?” Ikuko called out in greeting, pulling out a chair and eagerly taking her first sip before continuing, “My little girl isn’t being too much, is she?”   
  
“Mama…” Nico whined, appearing around the corner, “Don’t pick on Maki-chan.”   
  
The nickname, (coming from Ikuko originally deciding to refer to Maki by her red hair as Red Bean, but shortening it to just Bean since ‘Mame’ was a lot closer to Maki than ‘Adzuki’) was more than enough to pull Maki out of her momentary melancholy.   
  
“She’s alright,” Maki assured, hiding her smile behind her music-note-covered mug, “We should really get the kids involved more often. I think Cocoa gave me an idea for Baby Maybe when she was singing along to the ending of Precure earlier.”

“Yikes. How many are you juggling right now?” Ikuko asked, leaning back and raising her eyebrows Nico’s way.   
  
Nico breathed in from her mug and eyed Maki critically, “If what she just said pans out, that’d be five in the works.”   
  
“I’d have to try running it with the chorus lines a few times. See if it’ll pairs well. It’d need a bit of tweaking from my original concept, but I really think that a call-out/call-back theme would work really well to change it up,” Maki explained, more to herself than to her tablemates.   
  
“That’s my Maki-chan,” Nico shrugged, nodding her mother’s way to acknowledge that she was just as lost, “How was your day?”   
  
“Long, though coming home to hearing you all definitely put a spring back in my step,” Ikuko replied, “If you can keep getting Cotaro to come out of his shell a little more, I may insist on you coming over more often.”   
  
Nico smiled nervously before mimicking Maki’s earlier ‘hide behind mug’ tactic. Maki, of course, replied, “I’d love to.”

  
  
  


**\------------**

  
  
  


“So,” Maki began after closing the door behind them and sliding her hands along Nico’s hips, “What did you want to talk about, again?”   
  
She grinned  _ hard _ at the way Nico jumped at the contact. She was so antsy today! Sure, she should probably feel a little awkward about moving in so quickly after bidding goodnight to Nico’s mother, but knowing that their relationship (and it’s extent) was already a known fact to the woman did wonders to alleviate.   
  
“I’m not sure I want to now,” Nico replied in that small voice she used when the feelings about to be discussed were serious.   
  
That voice warranted more closeness. It was practically an invitation for comforting intimacy, so Maki acquiesced. Indulging, letting her hands slide around to Nico’s front and her lips press into her hair, Maki encouraged, “When you’re ready then. Talking or quiet, I’m just happy to be here.”   
  
Nico turned around, her face lowered so she could peer up. Her mastery of expression clearly conveying shyness, uncertainty, and Maki assumed a desire to be comforted. Heart melting at the feeling of being needed, Maki carefully began to undo Nico’s twin tails and filled the silence with, “Thank you… for being so patient with me lately.”   
  
“I’m not a monster,” Nico brushed off, her gaze constantly flitting down to her lips.   
  
“No, you’re not,” Maki breathed, moving to the second tail, “That would be me, remember?”   
  
Nico rolled her eyes, a smile finally breaking through, “Whatever, ‘Bean,’”   
  
“I like that better from your mother than from you,” Maki admitted, running her fingers through the freed hair to smooth it back together. It didn’t take much effort. Nico had to tease it a  _ lot _ to give it that usual body.   
  
“Right. You… ah… you ready to... move this to the bed?” Nico asked, clearly starting to be moved by the potential of the moment if the blush was any indication.   
  
“I’ve been ready for days,” Maki assured, but making no move either way aside of moving her hands from Nico’s hair to the back of her neck, “Concussions suck and I hope I never get another one. It gets in the way.”   
  
Nico’s hands were idling at the lower buttons of Maki’s top, her eyes still averted.   
  
“I didn’t want to assume… you know?”   
  
This was one of the three ways ways Nico seemed to approach more physically-oriented intimate situations. The rarest (and most fun) was the excited hunger of their first encounter. The most common was over-the-top confidence, full of teasing and braggery that Maki tended to indulge since… well… since she was honestly desperate for as much intimacy as she could get. That, and confidence was sexy.   
  
This, this unsure hesitance... it was new. Their past three encounters had gone like this… ever since Nico and Nozomi’s second outing to the shop where they’d picked up Nico’s tarot deck. Nico didn’t talk about that trip, and Maki didn’t want to push the issue.   
  
It might have to do with the whispers Maki had finally started noticing in the third year hall. Rumors and comments on how that Yazawa girl had finally conned a new set of girls to “play idol” with. How that weird “shrimp” of a girl had set out to take advantage of the obvious pity from the student council seats and the self-driven, well-intentioned motivation of the candy shop girl. Never the same voice. Only from the third and occasionally the second year halls. Never identifying a face.    
  
Those were the kindest of the bitter words she’d heard. Far more were vicious and personal. It had taken until these comments for Maki to really realize just how childish others seemed to perceive Nico, particularly in her build. Sure, part of it had to be from her ace makeup skills rounding out her features… and sure she was short and petite with several sex characteristics on the smaller side... but the idea that she would actually get teased about such things was… well... it was confusing.   
  
How did anyone  _ not _ find her attractive?   
  
Worst of all was how much it seemed get to Nico. It had taken Maki almost the entirety of their relationship thus far to convince Nico how attractive she found her. To  _ really _ convince her. Moments like these, when the bluster was forgotten and she seemed to make herself smaller than usual made a lot more sense in that context. When Nico looked at her not with admiration, but with guilt.   
  
Like Nico didn’t deserve her.   
  
Ridiculous.   
  
It’s not something they’ve actually discussed. Maki knew Nico was aware of her school-wide reputation. Nico had caught Maki’s flash of rage at a particularly unflattering comment spoken just loud enough to be overheard but not pinpointed. How do you talk about something like that? What good were words when actions could convey so much more.   
  
Maki stepped forward, a finger on Nico’s lips, slowly backing her toward the bed, “You can assume all you want. You’re the one saying I’m insatiable, remember?”   
  
“You just can’t get enough of Nico’s quality love-love skills,” Nico teased, allowing herself to be led and going along with Maki’s lead.   
  
“Something like that,” Maki agreed as ambivalently as possible. Not the mood she was aiming for. Nico deserved better than the insecurities she was clearly covering up, so Maki continued, “I can’t get enough of  _ you _ …”   
  
If everyone was so intent on tearing Nico’s confidence down, it was the least Maki could do, you know… as her girlfriend, to try and build it back up. Instead of pushing her back onto the bed to start the back and forth, give and take, that Nico was clearly expecting, Maki stopped just short.   
  
“Hold still,” Maki whispered into her neck, “I’m going to spoil myself a little…”   
  
Nico looked confused as Maki unbuttoned her the rest of the way. She looked embarrassed as Maki whispered praises into her skin, describing in detail how much she loved what she saw and was tasting... indulging in every gasp and shiver that Nico couldn’t hold back as she took her time working her way down. She protested with a whine as Maki pulled her waistband down and had to cover her mouth to stifle what came next.   
  
If Nico was going to endure those whispers at school… at least she could know that the opinions that  _ mattered _ adored her  _ properly _ .

  
  


**\------------**

  
  


“Holy crap Maki-chan… what’s gotten into you?” Nico whisper/gasped, laboring to get her breathing under control, “You… you haven’t even let me…”   
  
“Mmm?” Maki asked, still somehow wearing all of the lower half of her pajamas and her bra,  mouth preoccupied with nibbling her way down Nico’s leg, “I’m sorry, I haven’t let you do what?”   
  
“I… I don’t know…  _ something _ ,” Nico giggled, “Usually I get to spend at least a little time giving back but…”   
  
Well… Nico certainly  _ sounded  _ happy, which was absolutely the intention. Brimming with confidence and  _ way _ too much energy, Maki made her way back up. She locked eyes with her dazed lover and teased, “I said I was going to spoil myself, remember?”   
  
“How am I the one getting all the attention, then?” Nico replied in weak protest, “Maybe I want to get  _ my _ hands on my crazy pretty girlfriend?”   
  
“I’ve been having trouble focusing on my songwriting because I couldn’t stop thinking about getting you alone to do… all of this,” Maki explained high and higher into Nico’s thigh, “Watching you during practice is  _ torture _ .”   
  
Nearly an hour in and she was still getting Nico to blush. Maki kissed on past her hip and along her sides as she continued, “I have new reasons that I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about holding you, the smell of your strawberry shampoo, the way you try not to laugh when I get serious on you…”   
  
“Piano fingers,” Nico giggled quietly, running her nails through Maki’s hair and down over her shoulders.   
  
“Piano fingers,” Maki agreed with an extra firm nip at her stomach, “I just can’t stop thinking about you.”   
  
“My biggest fan,” Nico smirked, subtly pushing Maki’s head back down playfully and clearly not expecting her to go along with it.   
  
Not expecting, but she  _ certainly _ wasn’t complaining. She needed that breath for… other tasks.

  
  


**\------------**

  
  


“I’ve said this a few times already,” Nico breathed wearily.   
  
“Mmm?” Maki prompted when Nico drifted off, cradling her closer and reveling in the scent that would demand a morning bath.   
  
“I  _ really… _ really love you,” she sighed, nuzzling closer and firing off every happy emotion Maki could grasp in her exhaustion, “You’re the  _ best… _ ”   
  
“You’re just saying that because I give good head,” Maki teased, before pressing several kisses into Nico’s hair.   
  
“Daaaaamn straight. You keep that up an’ I’ll… I’ll consider keeping you around,” Nico lazily teased back. Maki could feel Nico’s smile as she nuzzled into her chest.   
  
“You’ll have to just live with the memory, because you’re going to be paying me back for that for the foreseeable future.”   
  
“Tha’s alright. I can live with that,” Nico assured, “What time is it?”   
  
“Why? You want to keep going?” Maki asked, turning as best she could without disturbing Nico’s nuzzling, but quickly losing the battle as Nico turned the momentum on her and laid her out on her back.   
  
“Yeah… but I’m like…  _ really _ tired,” Nico groaned, but still showed enough vigor to lock her legs around one of Maki’s and squirm suggestively, “Wanted t’talk, too.”   
  
“It’s after one. You sure you want to do this now?” Maki asked, certain that Nico would regret anything that didn’t involve snoring in the morning.   
  
“We have t’be alone for this,” Nico yawned and started getting distracted by kissing over some of Maki’s... softer places which, while  _ really _ nice, wasn’t helping Nico get her point across.   
  
“Yes… we do,” Maki deadpanned, “You can’t really do that in public.”   
  
“I mean talk. About you… you and your  _ feeeeeelings _ ,” Nico droned, clearly exhaustion-drunk but absolutely adorable with that broad sleepy smile that was in no way diminished as she started really working her hips on Maki’s leg.   
  
The view was fantastic, so Maki was in loathe to distract her. She flexed her thigh to give Nico something firmer to work with, resting her hands on those hips and replying, “That’s good to keep private too. What about them? I’d like to think I’ve been pretty open so far.”   
  
Nico shuddered, taking a moment to breathe before continuing and then answering in a wavering voice, “You have. It’s more about the Maki-chan before all of this. Before she…,” a pause to shudder harder, “Before she got her Nico…”   
  
Sometimes Nico got into a zone like this, where she would be able to carry on a conversation while being so thoroughly self-indulgent. She called it her ‘Maki Zone’ since it was the only time she showed the same level of appetite that could let her keep up with her younger lover. While the title left something to be desired, these rare instances were literally the most attractive and arousing sights Maki could imagine. Long past the point of exhaustion, but still too worked up to quit.   
  
This was the stuff Maki’s fantasies were now made of.   
  
For that, Maki would indulge any topic. “Go on,” Maki prompted, redirecting a hand to tend to herself.   
  
Nico wasn’t having it, she pulled Maki’s hand back to her hip and replaced it with her own as she continued, “It’s Maki-chan’s music. Not what you write. The stuff you liked.” *shudder* “As pretty a melancholy Maki-chan has gotta be, listening t’ sad songs and starin’ out at the rain,” *shudder* “It makes me sad to think about. Is that what HHNnn… what you meant by idol music not being your pace?”   
  
“More or less,” Maki agreed, biting her lip as Nico reciprocated, “Most of this I’ve gotten by riding off inspiration from you and the girls.”   
  
Nico giggled, “Riding.”   
  
Maki rolled her eyes and pressed down on Nico’s hips, “That was the music that spoke to me. It’s what I related to. All of this is... Hnn! *shudder* … is new… and it’s taking me a long time to adjust.”   
  
“Maybe I should share my Maki-chan time with the others,” Nico considered, slowly laboring her way higher Maki’s leg, “Get you some more inspiration.”   
  
Maki was going to reply, but Nico managed to hit the perfect spot, pressure, and tempo… so all she managed was an encouraging croon that seemed to spur her on further. Maki relaxed, letting Nico fully take charge. She raised Maki’s free leg to hook over her shoulder and redirect herself for more… intimate direct contact. In her lowest voice, the one that hit just the right frequency to send an excited chill through Maki’s spine, a deep and somewhat gruff voice that she was fairly certain only she had heard, Nico pledged, “It’s my job as an idol to make people smile… and Maki-chan’s smile is very… very important to me. I’m gonna make you so happy you forget  _ how _ to be sad.”   
  
Barely trusting her voice to rise above a whisper, given how  _ unreasonably _ good this felt, Maki gasped, “What are you going to do? Grind it out of me?”   
  
Nico picked up her pace, dialing back only slightly when the bed began to squeak, “If I have to… but I don’t,” *hard shudder*, “I don’t think that’s what’s gonna work, Maki-chan. I think I… I think… hoh… I… I just need to get you to see how amazing you are. No one… Shi-... No one as special as you should be… should be…”   
  
“Sad?” Maki offered, smirking amidst her own troubles thinking straight. Watching Nico continually losing it was  _ glorious _ .   
  
“Anything but happy. Confident. Loved,” Nico filled in before tensing and turning bright red in the face, pressing her mouth into Maki’s leg to quiet herself. She pulled away, their scent  _ heavy _ in the air as she readjusted to rest her cheek on Maki’s inner thigh to make sure she didn’t leave Maki hanging and finished, “Like me.”   
  
Eagerly accepting, Maki sighed contentedly, arching back and whispering, “I definitely  _ feel _ loved…”   
  
“Not good enough,” Nico pressed, her voiced muffled,, “ _ Everyone _ is going to know and adore you.”   
  
“Not as much as you though, right?” Maki grinned, eyes closed and hands in Nico’s hair, holding her in place once she found  _ just _ the right angle.   
  
“ _ Just  _ as much. You coming into my life and everything falling in place right after proves it. Nico needs Nishikino Maki if she’s gonna shine. I  _ need _ you…”   
  
… and she dedicated the last of her energy for the night proving over and over how deep that need was.

  
  


**\------------**

  
ღ˘◡˘ற♡.｡oO    
  
( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)˚๐*˟ ♡  ♡｡ﾟ.   
  
(*♡´◡` 人´◡` ♡*)ﾟ♡ °・

 

**\------------**

 

“Good morning, Maki-chan! You look energetic this morning!”   
  
“Kayo-chin, Good morning,” Maki returned with a smile. Her desk was covered in pages of musical notation for Baby Maybe Koi no Button and she was nearly finished scratching through her initial concept, “I had a good night. You look pretty good yourself. Did you beat Rin here?”   
  
“She said she was running late and to go ahead,” Hanayo shrugged, “Rin-chan’s fast enough that I’m not worried. I don’t recognize this…”   
  
“Like I said, it was a good night. I found inspiration for another one and wanted to get as much of it jotted down before a free period as possible.”   
  
Hanayo slid into the seat beside Maki’s and replied, “So you can try it on the piano?”   
  
“That’s right,” Maki confirmed as she started organizing the pages to put them away, “Normally I’d just wait until after classes, but…”   
  
“But Nico-chan, Rin-chan, and Eli-senpai will be too busy working you over,” Hanayo finished, clearly wording it that way intentionally to make her blush, which somehow didn’t work this time.   
  
“Phrasing,” Maki chided dryly, “Will you be joining us?”   
  
“Of course,” Hanayo shrugged, “If Rin-chan will be there, I’ll be there. Plus, I want to see what Eli-senpai has to say.”   
  
“That’s going around,” Maki commented, trading her musical notation for her first class textbooks and notepads, “Though, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”   
  
“I hope Nico-chan doesn’t get jealous~” Hanayo teased softly, sparking a moment of panic in Maki as she looked around the room to see if anyone noticed. They were the only ones in the room so far, so… at least there was that.   
  
“Kayo-chin,” Maki pouted.   
  
“It’s safe. It’s just us here,” Hanayo assured with that gentle smile of hers, “Your secret’s safe with me. Even Rin-chan hasn’t caught on, though… that isn’t saying much.”   
  
It wasn’t, but it was still a relief. She was as bad about keeping secrets as she was discovering them. Though, Maki found herself wishing she’d hurry up and get here as Hanayo pressed, “So how  _ are _ things coming along between you two? Does she know how you feel? Has she confessed yet?”   
  
Hoo boy.   
  
“She’d… rather I not talk about it,” Maki carefully worded, “Idol stuff.”   
  
“That’s our Nico-chan,” Hanayo beamed, but looked like she was going to continue.   
  
Before she could, Maki asked, “How about you and Rin? You never told me how your sort-of-date went last week.”   
  
Hanayo covered her cheeks and smiled, “We went to the playground by the old Otonoki elementary and watched the stars for a while. Hand holding, laying together, pointing out the constellations…”   
  
Good for you, Hanayo. Maki smiled so wide it almost hurt, “I didn’t know you two did things like that. I really like looking at the stars. If I wouldn’t be such a third wheel, I’d love to go with you for that sometime.”   
  
“Oh, that wouldn’t be a bother at all,” Hanayo assured, “It’s really fun to impress Rin-chan with how many constellations I can point out.”   
  
“I know how on edge Rin gets when we spend too much time around each other,” Maki continued to smile in return, “If we both started naming the stars left and right, she might feel left out.”   
  
Hanayo smirked, clearly in on some kind of joke. She reached out and laid a hand on Maki’s and replied, “Don’t worry about anything like that. Rin-chan’s just worried that Maki-chan might steal me away.”   
  
Smile dropped, Maki laid down a half-lidded glare and raised lip, “Haa?”   
  
“Rin-chan worries when I get too friendly with other pretty girls like Maki-chan.”   
  
“I don’t get that at all,” Maki pouted, entirely too aware of the soft weight on her hand, “Rin is too cute to be insecure about things like that.”   
  
“Well, she thinks you’re really pretty, so she gets nervous.”   
  
“Rin should have more faith in Kayo-chin,” Maki deadpanned, “I’m actually a little disappointed in her.”   
  
“She doesn’t see it,” Hanayo shrugged, squeezing Maki’s hand before pulling back, “No matter how much I tell her, she just doesn’t see her own charm.”   
  
“But she and Nico-chan have so much in common. I’ve  _ heard _ her say Nico-chan’s cute.”   
  
“Nico-chan dresses cute all the time. Rin-chan just doesn’t see herself the same way. I know. It’s frustrating. I’ve been trying to convince her for years.”   
  
“Weird,” Maki shrugged, “There’s not much more you can do if she’s not going to listen. It’s a real shame though.”   
  
Hanayo was leaning into her palm, tapping her cheek idly with that curious knowing smile, “You wouldn’t mind if I told her you said all this, would you?”   
  
Maki glowered, “Is that really necessary? What good is my word going to make against  _ yours _ ?”   
  
“I’m too close,” Hanayo admitted, “She thinks I’m biased.”   
  
“Whatever,” Maki frowned, put off by the idea, “I’ll tell her myself after practice if you think it’d help.”   
  
Hanayo’s knowing smile broadened… but almost looked sinister as she replied, “I would  _ love _ for you to do that.”   
  
“Tch,” Maki grumbled, “Who knows, maybe this will get her to chill out and stop being so weird when we’re all together.”   
  
“Maybe,” Hanayo replied lightly, “It couldn’t hurt.”   
  


 

**\------------**

  
  


The moment the lunch bell rang, Maki was out of her seat and on her way to the music room. She had a date with a Shigeru Kawai Concert Grand and she was going to serenade it with this rough draft of Baby Maybe, hopefully getting a run through to catch any glaring mistakes before the others showed up.   
  
An unfortunate side effect of having most of her afternoon µ's time dedicated to dance practice, was that she had to rush any piano runs with Umi over her lunch break. It wasn’t necessarily a  _ bad _ thing, she just liked having more time where it was just Umi, Kotori, and herself.   
  
Nico had been surprisingly understanding when it came to that insistence. Umi’s linguistic skills paired with Maki’s own musical prowess was crucial to the success of the group, so ensuring that they had sufficient time to corroborate was a priority that Nico didn’t need to have explained.   
  
Apparently, Nico had a similar situation rolling with Rin and Kayo-chin, only their focus was choreography and “mood,” whatever that meant. Kotori had a much better handle on that as she frequented as a go-between.   
  
One of the benefits of heading out so quickly was the lack of overheard or misheard conversations. She would arrive with a clear mind, frequently an untroubled heart, and be able to settle in quickly. She managed two halting run-throughs, requiring frequent jotting for future smoothing, before Umi arrived. No Kotori in sight.   
  
“Hard at work as always,” Umi offered in greeting, “I don’t recognize this one.”   
  
“Umi,” Maki offered in return, “This is new. Mind looking over my shoulder?”   
  
She acquiesced, setting a pair of bento on a desk as she approached, “I’m surprised by how many you continue to start before finishing any.”   
  
“You have to grab onto inspiration when it comes. The others are close,” Maki explained, “This one goes with Baby Maybe Koi No Button.”   
  
Umi pouted, avoiding eye contact at the admission, “I’m still not sure we should be using that one… it feels…”   
  
“Suggestive?” Maki offered, since that was frequently Umi’s complaints regarding her older writing, “That’s not really a bad thing. I’m impressed that you’re the one who wrote it.”   
  
“... and I’m always impressed by how unfazed you are about these things,” Umi sighed, leaning in to get a better look at the marked up pages, “May I hear?”   
  
“Absolutely, and I can’t say I’m completely unphased,” Maki replied, cracking her knuckles and assuming her position.   
  
“Aren’t you worried about arthritis?” Umi interrupted, having winced at the sound.   
  
“There’s no medical connection between cracking your knuckles and developing arthritis,” Maki corrected, her tone weary as she had explained this hundreds of times through the years. She started to play, deciding mid-way through the interlude that this playthrough would include singing.   
  
When Maki’s voice joined the piano, Umi jumped. As she reached the chorus line, Umi gave an all-important (yet nearly imperceptible) smile and nod of approval. As she finished, Umi joined her on the bench and commented, “That was lovely, though far more lively than I’d originally imagined.”   
  
Maki offered an apologetic half-smile and shrug, “Kayo-chin and Nico-chan have been...  _ impressing _ certain idol ideals that the genre tends to focus on. It wasn’t until I applied that mindset to your lyrics that this clicked. My original take was… very different.”   
  
“How so?” Umi pressed, the air around her relaxing, practically coaxing the honesty from her.   
  
That was actually a very bizarre part of getting to know Sonoda Umi. Maki hadn’t been able to discern where exactly the feeling came from, but the older girl’s aloofness that so much of the school seemed to adore held an actual presence. You could  _ feel _ it. The first time she’d “opened up” per say was almost shocking. It made her relationship with Honoka and Kotori make a lot more sense and explained how they felt so comfortable around her.   
  
When the aloofness aura subsided, Umi was just a beacon of warmth. Comfortable. Kind of like a subdued and mature Honoka. It honestly felt like a blessing to experience, as it didn’t happen very often. Almost exclusively when the other two second years were involved. While the two certainly had many secrets from one another, this comfortable ambiance had a way of helping Maki just… forgetting about boundaries like those.   
  
It was no wonder Kotori was so head-over-heels for her… Honoka too, though her place in their relationship remained a complete mystery.   
  
Keeping that in mind, it only made sense for Maki to be honest when replying, “The song clearly focuses on someone pining for a love they aren’t sure how to pursue. I’ve had some experience with that, so the original sound was slower. Melancholic. More “ A wistful hope to be noticed,” than a “Gradual realization that the relationship may have already begun.”   
  
“So a love song for Nishikino Maki is somber?” Umi suggested. She looked like she could relate.   
  
Heart warming in protest with thoughts of her newly expanded red-eyed family, Maki replied, “Maybe not so much anymore, but the old feelings that originally related to these lyrics would agree with that.”   
  
“Good. You deserve luck with love,” Umi assured with that rare deep smile of hers.   
  
“It’s not anything that dramatic,” Maki protested weakly, “I’m just... happier now.”   
  
Umi read the mood and lead the conversation away, suggesting, “Would you like to eat? Kotori sent along a bento for each of us since she couldn’t make it.”   
  
Now  _ that _ sounded good. Maki rose from the bench and replied, “I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to pay her back for it later. Where is she anyway?”   
  
Umi also rose, moving toward the desks as Maki sprayed/wiped down the keys and their cover after sliding it into place. She set out the boxes and explained, “She went to chase down Toujou-senpai to get proper measurements. She’s done as much as she can without those specifics.”   
  
“What, has she been too busy to get them taken?” Maki wondered idly as she accepted her box, “Thank you.”   
  
“Who knows,” Umi replied, somewhat terse, “She’s been dancing around committing to a fitting for over a week. Kotori has everyone else’s Korekara no Someday outfits ready. Toujou-senpai kept insisting that she would rather handle the camera work, but…”   
  
“Hey, if they’re putting  _ me _ in front of the camera, she shouldn’t be worried at all,” Maki frowned. That frown vanished as she opened the box and took in the spread, “Kotori put a lot of effort into this.”   
  
“Kotori always puts her heart into her cooking,” Umi replied simply, but with obvious pride. In respect to that effort, they ate in companionable silence. Three quarters of Maki’s box was salad, which some might complain about but was exactly what Maki was craving. So. Many. Cherry tomatoes.   
  
Their first PV would have an Alice in Wonderland-inspired theme that was  _ really _ going to stretch the budget of the club with hall decorations and bright colorful outfits. Fortunately, there wouldn’t be much in the way of dancing for this one, as it would be more heavily focused on introducing everyone in pairs. The idea was to offer close-ups, establishing each of them in the minds of their viewers and give ‘signature moves’ a shot.   
  
During the other night’s phone call, Nico and Kayo-chin had insisted that this would give a good opening opportunity for people to match names, faces, and voices and to find “their girl” in the group… which felt  _ weird _ . Weird and… the whole venture made the whole idol concept more solid. Real.   
  
Lives were going to be a thing. They would all be singing and dancing for audiences. She would have to become competent enough to not blow it for everyone… especially Nico. Her entire future was riding on this.   
  
No pressure Maki.   
  


 

**\------------**

  
  


Eli was only one centimeter taller than Maki, but her presence made the difference feel like twenty. She wasn’t intimidating, just… there was something about her that demanded respect. The idea of offering unearned deference always rubbed Maki the wrong way, but the social protocol of dealing with one’s elders was what it was. It was just one of the frictions that kept her from feeling comfortable around the older girl.   
  
There were a lot of feelings rolling around regarding the student council president. The majority of her opinions came from how others described her more than personal experience. Nico alternated between not being able to praise her enough and dragging her relentlessly. Nozomi maintained a distance, but a very, very close one. Clearly Eli was precious to her in some way, but µ's resident mystic was nothing if not guarded. Too much so to get a proper read.   
  
Regardless, Maki was glad that Ayase Eli was on their side.   
  
It was kind of interesting, how Maki had been around Nozomi without Eli being present… but the opposite had yet to occur. While there, Nozomi wasn’t participating in the practice session. She was camping out by the door and messing with her card deck, barely paying attention as Eli started in with a very… hands-on flexibility assessment.   
  
Nico, that adorable little shit, was grinning ear to ear at how hard Maki was blushing as Eli all but positioned her like a doll. In near constant physical contact, she adjusted, pressed, and constantly asked for feedback on what felt like too much and how far was comfortable.   
  
Maki’s embarrassment ran  _ so _ much deeper than that blush.   
  
“Can you hold your leg up at this level? It’s okay to rely on the fence for balance,” Eli prompted, a hand on the small of her back and the other holding her leg aloft below the knee slightly higher than her waist. Higher than Maki would have expected herself capable of.   
  
“I think so,” Maki wavered, having to steady herself with a hand on Eli’s shoulder and remembering with distracting clarity how many hours she’d spent daydreaming of being handled this way by the confident council president for… other activities. With a steadying breath, Maki asked, “So… just keep it there?”   
  
“Try to maintain that height and then lean sidewise, reaching for your foot as far as is comfortable,” Eli instructed, smelling ridiculously good for it being so late in the day. Faint vanilla and... something floral. Her grip was strong. Even when Maki found her balance wavering, Eli remained solid.   
  
Holy shit this was embarrassing. Worse, she felt like a liar. She spent so much time assuring Nico last night that she only wanted to vent feelings like these on her. Now, here she was and her imagination was  _ flaying _ her with curiosity on how Eli would handle herself during the kind of play last night had been filled with. There were visuals. They were intense.   
  
She. Was. The.  _ Worst. _   
  
“Not bad,” Eli commented as she pulled away, “Your stiffness may be more about stage fright than anything physical. I dare say you’re more limber than Nico.”   
  
‘No way. Nico is  _ way _ more flexible,’ Maki avoided saying out loud, because explaining the statement wouldn’t be fun. Instead she barely managed a, “Thank you very much,” before shuffling over to her place between Hanayo and Rin so their practice could begin in earnest.   
  
“So, Maki-chan makes the grade?” Nico asked, swaggering over to Eli.   
  
“I haven’t seen your catch-up regimen yet,” Eli smirked, leaning against the fence.   
  
Hanayo seemed unreasonably interested in Maki’s blush… so Maki was focused on ignoring her as the two seniors began a back and forth. Nico’s voice rising to ask, “Actually, I was hoping you’d take the lead with this one.”   
  
“Really? Why, so you can take it easy?” Eli teased.   
  
“No, so I can do it beside them,” Nico brushed off breezily, turning and taking a place beside Rin, “We’re on the clock here and I want to experience Eli’s professional training routine. It’ll be too late in the day if we do my routine and  _ then _ yours.”   
  
“Plus… I don’t think I’d have the energy,” Hanayo admitted nervously, “I’m usually starving by the end.”   
  
“Oh,” Eli replied, obviously surprised, “I… guess that makes sense. I was going to make sure you covered all the bases, but… I can take over this evening if you’d like.”   
  
With a loaded glance Maki’s way, Nico replied, “Work us over good.”

  
“Uhhh… Right.”

  
  
  


**\------------**

  
  
  


Practice finished, Maki cleared for full-group practice, and MakiRinPanaNico gathered in the clubroom taking turns in the supply closet to change, a charged silence gripped the room. Rin was probably mostly naked in the closet. Maki was nearly vibrating with distracted libido-fueled tension. Nico knew this and was clearly fully intending to pick on her relentlessly for it.   
  
Hanayo was watching the two with a fascinated expression that was entirely unnoticed by Nico. Hanayo knew that she and Nico were a thing, just not to the extent. Nico didn’t know that Hanayo knew. Maki knew that she deeply regretted ever confirming that fact without getting Nico’s go-ahead first. Hanayo clearly wanted to know what was up and right now Maki wanted nothing more than to either hide alone in her room or to drag Nico with her and grind the ever-loving smirk off of her face.   
  
This wasn’t getting easier.   
  
Shouldn’t this be getting easier?   
  
“Whoever’s nyext~” Rin advised, strolling out in a casual outfit and swinging her garment bag idly.   
  
“Dibs,” Nico announced, rising to her feet and moonwalking toward the room. Good. She still had plenty of energy.   
  
God, she was being such a  _ boy _ about this.   
  
“Wow, Maki-chan doesn’t look very happy,” Rin commented, whipping a chair around to straddle, “What’d I miss?”   
  
“That’s what I was wondering,” Hanayo added, scooting her chair closer to Rin’s.   
  
After a few seconds of trying to will herself out of existence, Maki realized the harsher fate awaited her. She was going to have to come up with excuses on the fly and talk about them when the only methods of communication she’d like to indulge right now involved either banging on a piano or someone else.   
  
“I’m fine,” Maki deflected, completely failing to suppress the irritation in her voice, “I’m just still amped up and… I don’t know what to do with all the energy?”   
  
“I get that,” Rin nodded sagely, “After lunch, I’m usually just really waking up, so nya’m tapping my foot the rest of the day!”   
  
The visual was pretty cute and a welcome distraction. Maki relaxed into the table and joked, “I bet Shimizu just loves that.”   
  
“I’m pretty sure she’s gotten used to it. Sometimes she taps her pencil in time with me!” Rin grinned, leaning toward Hanayo.   
  
Then Hanayo dragged Maki’s mind back to the gutter by innocently leaning in to meet Rin half way and playing with her hair. Rin pressed her head into the affection, much as Maki had been finding herself doing lately with Nico. It was just enough to make Maki slip up and admit, “Well that’s adorable.”   
  
Rin froze in place, wide-eyed, as Hanayo’s gaze shot between Rin and Maki frantically.   
  
Crap. Right. Rin thought their relationship was a secret.   
  
Thinking fast, Maki attempted damage control by pressing on with an even-toned, “You really  _ are _ like a cat aren’t you? You’re gonna use that in your whole… idol persona thing, right?”   
  
“Yeah!” Rin hurriedly replied, “Definitely. No doubt.”   
  
“Good,” Maki continued, reading Hanayo’s look of relief and approval as a go-ahead, “You should. It’ll look better on you than Puni Funi. They really have to try hard to make it work for them.”   
  
“No way,” Rin protested, getting red in the face, “They’re all so cute!”   
  
“You’re cute too, Rin-chan,” Hanayo assured, doubling down on the head scritching.   
  
Before Rin could complain, Maki  _ finally _ remembered her and Hanayo’s earlier conversation and added, “Cute  _ and _ in amazing shape. I never thought I’d know someone who can flip around like you do. I’m a little jealous.”   
  
Rin’s blush almost immediately went critical. She started to stammer, but was interrupted by Nico’s voice rising from the closet, “Yeah, I’m expecting Rin to be one of the most popular girls in µ's. She’s like, unfairly cute.”   
  
“Guys,” Rin whined, “Come on…”   
  
“I told you,” Hanayo beamed, swapping from head scritching to side hugging.   
  
“You better get used to it, Rinny Rin Nya,” Nico called out, “You’re gonna be singing to a crowd waving your color and screaming your name.”   
  
Nico strolled back into the room, her uniform blouse draped over a RTC Beats t-shirt and her blazer over her shoulder, “You’ve just got started and you’ve already got  _ this girl _ as a fan, so stand tall. I have  _ excellent _ taste.”   
  
Hanayo stopped and stared at Nico. Rin caught the expression and turned as well, her jaw literally dropping. It took Maki a second to realize what had caught them so off guard. While Nico was in there, she’d removed her makeup. Before she realized it, Maki caught herself smiling as Nico confidently plopped down beside Rin and continued, “What? You alright there?”   
  
_ Damn _ her girlfriend was beautiful.   
  
“What did…” Hanayo began.   
  
“How did you…” Rin tried.   
  
“Makeup. Contouring. Strong eyeshadow and blush to lead the eye. Strategic hair placement. Controlling your appearance is all part of maintaining a persona,” Nico explained, clearly revelling in the attention.   
  
“You look like a completely different person!” Rin exaggerated.   
  
“You look… you look…” Hanayo fumbled.   
  
“You look amazing,” Maki let slip, too full of affection and appreciation to remember little things like keeping her feelings on the down-low.   
  
“What did you do to make yourself look so mature!” Rin gaped, “Can you do me next!?”   
  
“Hey,” Nico glared, “I took the makeup  _ off. _ This is 100% pure Nico Nii you’re lookin’ at.”   
  
Good, no one noticed the slip up, though she did earn a quick smile from the older girl who continued, “I missed out on my face mask last night, so I figured I’d do myself a favor and let the pores breathe a little.”   
  
“So this is what it means to have a backstage pass to an idol’s life,” Hanayo wondered with growing excitement.   
  
“Hey, you’re an idol too you know,” Nico countered.   
  
It felt weird to have someone else claim ‘backstage pass’ with Nico. Uncomfortable. The terminology made sense, but that had been  _ their _ thing. Maki brushed it off and took up the banner she’d promised Hanayo earlier, “What are you two so shocked about? Surely you spend a lot of time touching up before school. Rin’s complexion is too nice to be natural… and Kayo-chin’s features are too soft to be real.”   
  
Maki’s fellow first-years took critical damage from the compliment, Hanayo stammering away from the claim while Rin’s blush went neon. Clearly weakened from the day of frequent praise, Rin tried to counter, “You’re just trying to be nice. Maki-chan probably doesn’t need makeup at all.”   
  
Nico immediately covered her mouth to stifle an involuntary bark of laughter which was... totally fair. Maki found herself smirking as well when she replied, “Rin, I use more than Nico-chan. A lot more. I don’t do anything that requires as much skill as hers, but really.”   
  
“I kinda wanna see,” Rin stared, bouncing between herself and Nico.   
  
“No way,” Maki shot back, “I didn’t bring enough concealer with me to fix it back up afterwards to even consider it.”   
  
“Plus, we don’t have any of your remover,” Nico added, slipping up and clearly not recognizing the implications surrounding her having that knowledge.   
  
Best to roll with it, “That’s a good point. It would take way too long without that. We’d probably run out of the club’s wipes before we got half-way through.”   
  
“There’s nyo way it’s that drastic,” Rin protested, “You’re pullin’ my tail.”   
  
“I’m with Rin-chan on this one,” Hanayo added, rediscovering her voice, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”   
  
“I’m fine with that,” Maki finished, closing the issue confidently, “So where are you all going next?”   
  
“I’m goin’ home with Kayo-chin!” Rin proclaimed, finally returning some of the affection Hanayo had spent the past several minutes showering her with.   
  
“It’s my turn to make dinner tonight,” Hanayo added, “I’m hoping to have it ready by the time my parents get home.”   
  
“I thought I’d hit the arcades before goin’ home. See if I can’t find some easy marks to flip online. The Korekara no Someday video is gonna leave us pretty dry,” Nico admitted, “There’s a new run of sentai figures that should be hitting the cranes this week, so… there’s that.”   
  
“I should probably go tighten up a few of these compositions,” Maki told herself aloud, “The video is good and all, but if we’re going to have a steady stream of new content, I’ve really got to get moving.”   
  
“Poor Maki-chan,” Rin pouted as she rose, “Don’t work too hard, nya?”   
  
“Good work today, everyone,” Hanayo added with a smile, “We’ll see you tomorrow?”   
  
“Yup, good work up there today,” Nico waved as the two headed for the door, “We’ll have our first costume run for the video after class tomorrow so bring a big lunch.”   
  
The door closed. It was just the two of them now.   
  
“You know, if you planned on winning a lot, you could probably use some help carrying those bags,” Maki offered without offering.   
  
“If you wanted to tag along, all you had to do was ask, Maki-chan~” Nico teased, leaning forward and resting her chin on a fist, clearly showing off that jawline Maki praised her on so much.   
  
“I’m surprised you did that,” Maki said with a nod, “I never thought I’d see you without makeup outside of the house.”   
  
“Hana-banana told me that Rinny’s been havin’ trouble with ‘er self image. This was the best way I could think of to give her that pick-me-up.”   
  
Maki stood and replied while circling the table, “How is showing off how pretty  _ you _ are going to help her?”   
  
“I… that wasn’t what just happened there, Maki-chan,” Nico replied, turning her chair around so she could lean back.   
  
“I know, I just wanted to say it,” Maki shrugged as she approached, “I’ve had a day as it is. I wasn’t ready to see you like  _ this. _ ”   
  
Nico grinned, “Aww, Maki-chan’s got the hots for her senpai?”   
  
Maki grabbed on to both sides of the back of Nico’s chair and tipped it backward, standing so she was straddling Nico’s lap and replied heatedly, “Come to my place tonight.”   
  
Eyes wide, but clearly enjoying the situation, Nico replied, “What about all that music you need to work on?”   
  
“It’ll get done. You’re the only thing I want to work on right now,” Maki insisted, setting the chair back down so she could sit on Nico’s lap, still facing her as she continued, “... and I want  _ you _ to work on  _ me.” _   
  
“I do actually want to hit the arcades though… the first runs always sell really well,” Nico teased.   
  
“That’s fine. There’s photo booths. We can make some keepsakes,” Maki suggested, undeterred.   
  
“Wow, one-track mind much?” Nico drawled.   
  
“I’m seriously considering dragging you into the closet right now,” Maki replied in her borderline serious voice.   
  
“For what?” Nico blinked, suddenly putting on her best innocent face, “I just came out of there… or did you mean...”   
  
“Nico-chan,” Maki growl/whined.   
  
“Maybe just a little,” Nico teased, “Since Maki-chan’s being so cute.”   
  
They didn’t quite make it to the closet before starting, but they did remember to lock the door.

  
  


**\------------ Yazawa Nico**

  
  


“Nicocchi,” Nozomi called out, catching her attention as she approached the footlockers.   
  
It was a surprise to hear her this late. Nico would have assumed that she and Maki were probably the last two students in the building at this point. Their… after-club activities had taken longer than expected and they agreed that they should probably leave separately to meet up again at the Sega right outside the station.   
  
It would take Maki-chan a bit longer to clean up anyway.   
  
“Hey, what’s up?” Nico offered, grateful that despite how tired she was (and JEEZ was she tired), she still managed to keep her voice energetic.   
  
“I’ve been waitin’ down here for nearly an hour. What were you doin’?” Nozomi asked with a smirk, none of the usual banter to be seen.   
  
“Surfing. You know how it is. It’s hard to get that in around the kids at home,” Nico replied, telling a creative, if heavily stretched version, of the truth.   
  
“Nicocchi… you should probably… actually, nevermind,” Nozomi squirmed, taking a step away and suddenly looking uncomfortable, “Have you thought any more about how you’re gonna handle this?”   
  
Nico scowled, not caring how it looked without her usual contouring. Actually, she suddenly felt disappointed that Nozomi hadn’t noticed yet, so she turned to her locker and swapped shoes as she replied with a simple and curt, “I’m handling it.”   
  
“Nicocchi…” Nozomi pressed, “How many times d’we have t’do this reading before you can accept tha-”   
  
“I’ve accepted it,” Nico interrupted, “I get it. I got it a long time ago. It’s old news.”   
  
Being so close to the locker suddenly made Nozomi’s distancing make sense. Fortunately, Nozomi wouldn’t really be able to tell the difference between her and Maki’s scent. Oh  _ come on,  _ does that mean she thinks that by surfing she meant…  _ ugh. _   
  
Pulling out her day spritzer, Nico misted and walked through the strawberry scented cloud before popping her school shoes into the locker. Finally locking eyes with a very concerned Nozomi, she continued, “I’ve done readings on my own, you know. I’ve asked from  _ SO _ many angles… and you know what I found out?”   
  
Nozomi stood her ground as Nico got in close, “I found out that no matter what, I’m the worst. Magic says I’m going to be the worst thing to ever happen to the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.”   
  
Nozomi looked surprised at the description, so Nico continued, “That’s right. I said it. I’m…  _ crazy _ about her. Drop dead, pinkies crossed, heart singing her flippin’ name  _ crazy _ . Did you know she got  _ Cotaro _ to sing last night?  **_Cotaro_ ** . We were all singing Yuujou No Change together. They love her. Mama loves her. Maki-chan loves  _ them _ ... “   
  
Nico’s vision was getting hazy. Too many stupidly strong emotions were flailing around, totally spoiling her post-action buzz. She broke eye contact and continued, “... and she loves  _ me _ . Like… really, really loves. I think it’s too late to do anything about it. No matter what I do, the readings stay the same. If I walked away from her now, the only things that would be different is µ's would be doomed, the kids would lose a big sister, and both Maki and I would both go broken-hearted.”   
  
Nico started to walk out, rubbing her eyes clear as Nozomi followed at her side, “What good does that do for anyone?”   
  
“So Maki-chan caught Nicocchi’s heart, eh?” Nozomi asked, her voice solemn.   
  
“She didn’t catch anything,” Nico muttered, looking at Nozomi askance, “She’s been taking my breath away since that first night... I didn’t even stand a chance.”   
  
Nozomi’s hand found its way to Nico’s shoulder as they approached the gates. Nico slumped into her side as Nozomi sighed, “I guess it’s a part’a destiny then.”   
  
“... I’m really glad you and Eli are a part of this,” Nico admitted, “µ's, that is. I’m all on-board for fate if this all ends up working out. ”   
  
“Even if th’ princess ends up fallin’ out o’ the tower in the end?” Nozomi warned.   
  
Nico tensed and reached up to grip Nozomi’s hand. In a low voice, she vowed, “Not gonna happen. Maki-chan is  _ family _ now. You know what that means to me.”   
  
“Remember what they say about the path of good intentions, Nicocchi.”   
  
“Yeah. Everyone gets a happy ending and everything was wonderful forever. The end,” Nico grumped.   
  
“Nicocchi should come to school looking like this more often,” Nozomi redirected since the conversation was clearly not going anywhere. Classic Nozomi move. Totally acceptable in this situation.   
  
“I wouldn’t want to break so many hearts in one go,” Nico sighed, “Poor Eli would feel so lonely if all of her fans flocked to Nico’s brilliant maturity. I hide  _ all this _ for a  _ reason. _ ”   
  
Nozomi giggled, “Nicocchi’s so generous.”   
  
“Right?”    
  
“So… Nicocchi... can I make a suggestion?”   
  
“Fire away.”   
  
“If you’re gonna go “surfing” like that, you should prob’bly wait ‘til you get home. I had no idea you were doin’ that kinda stuff in the clubroom.”   
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”   
  
“Now you’re even  _ talking _ like Maki!”   
  
“Yeah, and?”   
  
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Elicchi.”   
  
“Good. You shouldn’t be talking about  _ me _ anyways. Go talk about your  _ own _ feelings over parfaits or something.”   
  
“Nicocchi…”

  
  


**\------------ Nishikino Maki**

  
  


**  
** For nearly ten minutes after Nico left, Maki just stared at the ceiling. Not quite in a daze, but definitely drifting. Almost immediately after Nico left, Maki indulged in the afterglow by… well… refreshing it a few times over. She hadn’t even started to pick up after herself, content to lay and feel the air over her exposure.    
  
“What am I doing?”   
  
It wasn’t the first time she’d wondered this. Ever since surrendering that first night to Nico’s advances and immediately escalating things to their inevitable (and repeated) conclusion, she revisited the thought over and over. It was almost always overpowered by desire and the will to indulge in it, but… 

… but this might be overdoing it a little.   
  
She was losing control. Things that used to feel so important just didn’t matter in this new age of kisses, music, sex, and dreams. It was shocking how easy it was to just… give up on studying. So much of it was just redundant and her grades hadn’t suffered at all, even with the numerous additional responsibilities and light brain injuries.   
  
Why  _ not _ dedicate more time to her expanded family and so...  _ so _ many orgasms?   
  
Just thinking it felt shameful.   
  
… Just not shameful enough to stop herself from closing her eyes and indulging herself more in the closet that was now so heavy with their shared musk… mostly hers. Somehow, thoughts like how disappointed or horrified her parents would be to know that  _ this _ was how she was spending her afternoon just… didn’t matter. No one was getting hurt. Her stress levels were probably lower than she’d ever experienced despite carrying more stacked responsibilities than she’d ever previously juggled.   
  
Ultimately, this was a good thing, right?   
  
Nico had been  _ so _ accommodating, seeming to be eager to have a chance to so fully take the lead. Getting handled by Eli left her wanting to just… give in. Let it continue. Plead for more. Straight up beg for it.   
  
Again, shameful, but… just not enough to feel bad about it. It seemed to really work for Nico.   
  
Where were her goddamn standards? What happened to intellectual pursuits being so noble that others just weren’t worth the time? Now? Now even the excitement and joy of creating music was only barely keeping stride with something so base and primal.   
  
The worst was how unfaithful her imagination was being.   
  
The thought of Kayo-chin coming back to the room and finding her laying here in the closet and somehow  _ not  _ being disgusted… instead, eager to join in. Fantasies of Eli ordering her to hold a position so she could let her lips and hands roam freely. The whirlwind of positivity and motivation named Honoka turning her passion fully her way and seeing if she could weather the storm. Joining forces with Kotori to lavish Umi with praise and pleasure. A constantly shifting collage of ideas where she and Nico dedicated hours to making Rin or Nozomi lose their minds over and over.   
  
God, from the sound of it, Rin and Kayo-chin hadn’t even  _ kissed _ yet, let alone  _ this. _   
  
About the time that she caught herself licking her fingers because the taste had been on Nico’s lips earlier, Maki finally started to snap out of it. Enough was enough… this was ridiculous. She would find the rest of her clothes, get cleaned up properly, do something about the state of the room, and get on with her day.   
  
No sense in milling around the clubroom alone. Nico was going to be waiting for her by the station… and she had every intention of dragging her into a photo booth to return some of the  _ many _ favors she’d earned.   
  
  
  
  
\---------------------------------------------   
Author’s Notes:   
  
Maki sure is enjoying life right now, isn’t she? I’m sure that’ll work out well. This is about the upper limit of how explicit this fic will get until everyone’s of age. Quick reminder, since that first bit sounded foreboding, my stories will always get happy endings. This one runs pretty long though, so… sometimes the wait to get there can take a while.   
  
This one took a while. Partially because Berserker happened, Chocolates happened (and blew up. Really happy with how that one came out), Tekko (local anime convention) has been coming up and we needed some new button designs for the shop, I got sick, and work went completely nuts. This chapter sat at around 4k words until like… three days ago.   
  
This has been the least cooperative the girls have been so far, mostly because they’re too busy having fun to have plot and serious feelings come into play. I know it got a little technical there at the beginning, but it’s fairly important info for the coming chapters. By the by, all of those magazines aside of Dengeki were totally made up… and Dengeki obviously isn’t what I make it out to be in-story.   
  
Also, do I make these chapters too long?   
Going back and reading through this, it feels crazy short… but like… this fic is already over twice as long as freaking Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and I’ve barely scratched the surface.   
  
I know that once the third years graduate and Maki hits her second year, this fic will close and a new one will start to continue it, if nothing else to make the chapter/word count less intimidating to new readers.   
  
I worry too much.    
  
Thanks for reading. Your comments are amazing.   
  
We even found a NicoMaki thread out there that mentioned a few of my fics which I keep open in another tab because it makes me happy. It’s pretty nice seeing people talk about your work out in the wild and they shared some art of the two I haven’t seen yet.


	14. The First Date

 

* * *

**Hoshizora Rin**

 

Rin stared at her lap, too nervous to move. There was a time bomb resting there that could go off any second… and any sudden movements could set it off early. She looked to Kayo-chin for help, but only found a _completely nyan-helpful_ smile, betraying her to an assuredly gruesome fate.  
  
On Monday, they’d started eating lunch on the roof since the weather this week was supposed to be so nice. On Tuesday, Kayo-chin had somehow roped µ's least enthusiastic member and one-girl-grump-train, Nishikino Maki, into joining them… which had led to the redhead listening politely as she ate and then leaning back and _conking the heck out!_  
  
How antisocial was _that!?_ Just… coming up to listen and then sleeping the rest of the break away!? Kayo-chin, saint that she was, just smiled, let Maki lay there like a lump, and even lent her shoulder as a pillow when µ's songwriter inevitably slumped onto her side!  
  
It’s not that Rin was jealous! Kayo-chin just often dealt with shoulder and upper back issues! What if Nishikino Grumpy made that worse!?  
  
The same thing had happened on Wednesday, and then Thursday, and now here on Friday it had happened _again!_ She barely said anything at all! Just… sat there, chewed, nodded a few times and took up space. Why Kayo-chin was so hung up on the… admittedly pretty and infrequently friendly girl was _beyond_ her. She barely even seemed grateful for all the help that Kayo-chin, Nico-senpai, and Ayase-senpai were giving her!  
  
Rin just… didn’t get her. At all.  
  
She’d tried. She really had. She’d tried being nice, being playful, being affectionate… but none of the fake-it-till-you-make it methods had panned out. Sure it was fun to make her blush, knock her down a peg here and there, but that only gets you so far.  
  
Today, as the redhead started drifting off again, probably aiming to take advantage of Kayo-chin’s kindness _again_ , she didn’t end up getting it. No, Kayo-chin stood up and _carefully_ lowered her down on Rin’s lap.  
  
Not rude enough to interrupt a cat nap, but still _completely_ taken off guard, Rin barely restrained her panic and had to resort to frantic pantomiming and whispering, “What are you _doing!?”_ _  
_ _  
_ No answer. Just that cruel, cruel gentle beautiful smile. Rin felt so _betrayed!_ It would have been completely terrible, but Kayo-chin pressed in from her other side and took advantage of _Rin’s_ shoulder… which was _super_ rare in public places like these.  
  
“See?” Kayo-chin whispered, “She’s not so bad.”  
  
Rin was doing her best to not look at the pampered rich girl, spilling her stupidly pretty red hair all over her lap. She better not shed all over her skirt! Ugh, just look at how it lays. Her shampoo must cost a _fortune_. Trying to keep the whimper from her voice, Rin answered, “Why?!”

“I thought Rin-chan looked a little jealous,” Kayo-chin teased, so close to her ear, “So I thought I’d share her a little.”  
  
She wanted to snuggle with Kayo-chin! Not be Clutzishino’s pillow! Rin was about to say as much, but then Kayo-chin’s fingers were scritching their way up the back of her neck and she was too busy restraining the shivers to speak. _She was being so bold!_  
  
“I think she’d be happy about this too, since she thinks Rin-chan is so cute,” Kayo-chin continued, “Just like everyone else.”  
  
“Kayo-chin,” Rin whined and then froze as the redhead shuffled around a bit, pressing her head as close as she could and curling tighter into that fetal pose. This was just… awful. Myaki was _totally_ going to flip out when she woke up… or worse, just glare at her like she always does, completely unmoved and making _her_ the weird one..  
  
_Why_ was Kayo-chin so hung up on this girl!?  
  
As if summoned by the concept of people being hung up on moody redheads, Nico-senpai popped her head out of the stairwell, took a moment to zero in on the three of them, _smirked_ , and disappeared again down the stairs. She’d come up here _looking_ _specifically_ for Myaki?  
  
The special attention made sense, in a team readiness sort of way. When the team has a weak member, you drill them until they’re up to par. Sure. Understandable. Makes total sense… but… why were they even _trying_ to put her on the team!? Couldn’t she just… do her music thing and leave it at that? Was it because it was easier to arrange choreography with odd numbers? Myaki was uncoordinated, clumsy, easily fatigued, easily distracted, and Rin couldn’t tell if the girl wanted to be there out of some kind of pride thing, vanity, or _what._  
  
That’s the worst part. She _couldn’t_ _read her_. _At all._ The girl manages to barely scrape through a practice, scowling almost the entire time, but then thanks her for her help. She agrees to come sit with them for lunch, but then doesn’t contribute to the conversation and sleeps through most of it. Starts to act like she wants to be friends, but then ignores everyone around her, _teacher included,_ through most of the school day… somehow still managing to be miss perfect when called on.  
  
Then there was this… calling her cute stuff. Kayo-chin had been laying it on _thick_ how the pampered princess had said, of her own accord, that she didn’t think Rin was just cute, but like… attractively cute. Kayo-chin had even brought it up while the three of them were walking home. Point blank. Myaki didn’t deny it. She just… stared at Rin like she always did when she talked to people, looked like she was constipated or something, and grumped something along the lines of, “Of course I think she’s cute. Just look at her. You _do_ have a mirror at home, right? Who _wouldn’t_ want to look at you?”  
  
_Who says stuff like that!? With such a straight face!?!?!_  
  
Glaring at Maki as she turned over, practically rubbing her nose into her stomach, Rin remembered _another_ thing that ticked her off about the girl! What’s with her complete disregard for seniority?!? The only person that gets the “senpai” treatment was Ayase-senpai… but even _then_ it’s mostly on a first name basis. Never with Toujou-senpai or Nico-senpai and _never_ with the second years. Did she think she was just too _good_ for that sort of thing? It just made Rin so uncomfortable!!  
  
Still… her hair felt nice. When she was asleep like this, it was easy to forget how brusque she came off the rest of the time. She… _did_ work pretty hard at practice, despite always running off right after for that after-school school thing she did.  
  
… It was hard to be mad at her… but really, it felt even harder to actually like this Nishikino girl. She was trying… but how do you tell if a robot likes your jokes when it just rolls its eyes at you either way. She just couldn’t tell if she should be endeared or annoyed with almost everything the girl did. Even now, Maki was nuzzling into her in her sleep and mumbling something… which was… like… really cute. _But_ , she was also doing it without having asked, without knowing who she was taking advantage of, and she was rubbing her face in a… kind of embarrassing place.  
  
That was Maki in a nutshell. She did cute things once in a while, but it usually came with at least one or two glaringly uncomfortable things you kind of had to ignore.  
  
Still… trying made Kayo-chin happy. If a happy Kayo-chin meant this kind of attention, then… well… she’d get used to Princess Sleepypants.  
  
Probably.

 

* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

 

Maki was starting to wonder if Rin was really µ's resident cat-girl. With the week of toasty mid-day naps, she felt absolutely _indulgent._ She’d thanked Kayo _so_ many times via text over the week and somehow, just now, on this brilliant sunny Friday afternoon… Nico-chan to her right and RinPana to her left… it _finally_ sunk in that she had friends. Like… _good_ friends.  
  
The future didn’t feel oppressive at all anymore. The aches and pains of training completely replaced the constant stress headaches, tight shoulders, and anxious overthinking. Thoughts of looming responsibilities, executive decision making, and literally holding the medical welfare of hundreds if not thousands of people in her eventually piano-less hands were _long_ gone. Now, Maki’s mind was filled with melodies. Colors. Rhythms paired with motion. Plotting how to pair proper physical exertion with musical expression to maximize vocal control. Breathing. Singing. Adorable clothing. Loving.  
  
So much loving.  
  
_So… so much._  
  
Maki love love _love_ love **Loved** her secret magical musical girlfriend. She loved her girlfriend’s _family_ . She loved her _own_ family, surprising both of her parents and Waki-san with her recent chipper moods and enthusiastic affection. She loved the songs, the music, and the weight of keys and the pulse of the notes. She loved dancing, way more than she would have ever thought, and she loved the confidence that came from mastering even the most basic routines.  
  
… and she loved her friends.  
  
That was another surprise. The amount of affection she felt for them was almost overpowering at times. How she had gone from losing her last friend in the world to having her heart so full, thanks to these eight girls? … and Maki made no mistake. It wasn’t _just_ her explosive and exciting relationship with Nico that had her forgetting the feeling of being used to depression. Each and every one of these girls were breathing excitement and life into her existence in ways she’d never accounted for.  
  
They were _all_ precious. Every single one of them. She was falling into each of them with such ease that it was like she was _made_ to be a part of this.  
  
Part of _them_ .  
  
It was like… finding the missing parts of herself that she’d never known she lacked. The air she’d never breathed. Colors never seen. New, but now unthinkable to be without. Exciting… but… also comfortable. Almost strangely nostalgic. Like coming home.  
  
On the note of… interlocking parts… Maki had thought of an idea to help address the recent issue of her increasingly insatiable “appetite.” Being alone with Nico was… dangerous. Impossible. Any time Maki knew that they had more than half an hour alone together, all bets were off… and so were Nico’s clothes. Her girlfriend’s apprehension over it was disappearing almost as fast, meaning that the sex was becoming more frequent, riskier, and _impossibly_ more intense.  
  
Not a _bad_ thing, per say. Nico getting over whatever was holding her back led to Maki learning _a lot_ about her own preferences and just how incredible the passive role could be.  
  
Just… Maki wanted _more_ . She wanted to _share_ more. She wanted to finally fill in all of those personal details that you were technically supposed to start with. She had a notebook of her own now labeled Diamond Princess, and it was filling slowly with musical notation and lyrics too intense for their idol escapades, too… suggestive for their bright and happy themes. Maki didn’t want to just keep crashing into Nico’s body, she wanted to know every little detail… and share all of her own.  
  
So… they had a date. Tomorrow. Maki’s choice. Following a few simple rules.  
  
1\. No sex until the end, which this time would come after they got home to Maki’s place.  
  
Probably a lot.  
  
That would keep them from finding a secluded corner to crowd into, or a photo booth to bend her over in, or any other number of ways they could blitz each other’s coherency away with endorphins. It might seem odd to have to lay that rule down, but they’d shared at least twelve “we could ditch our friends and get to it” looks on this commute alone.  
  
2\. Maki was paying. This time.  
  
They would alternate, there would be no obligations and no guilt or shame involved in how expensive or inexpensive an outing would be. Both agreed that each other was the main event, which led to number three.  
  
3\. Try to avoid repeat dates and _no movies_ .  
  
The point of these was to deepen their understanding of one another. They’d pick activities that would share interests they’d not yet been able to properly convey. Movies offered nothing in the way of communication and _apparently_ Nico _really_ liked being inappropriate in semi-public places. Maki had missed almost the entire film because Nico thought it would be fun to spend it with her hand down her skirt. No complaints, just… respecting rule number one.  
  
4\. Food was a must and whoever chose the event yielded food choice to the other.  
  
No “I dunno, what do you want,” for them. By dividing the responsibilities of who chose what, they could both focus on an experience they wanted the other to enjoy for each date.  
  
For tomorrow, an international cuisine cafe in Ikebukuro that was close to the Valkyrie host club. This would let Nico make her merchandise rounds to flip for more µ's funds. Then, a trip to a museum that had recently added to their mineral exhibit that Maki thought sounded like a fun, educational, and visually stimulating idea.  
  
Nico had seemed hesitant and even a little confused at the offer, but brushed it off as “knowing what she was getting into, dating a _nerd_ .”  
  
Confirmation on their plans came in the second half of the school day, so for the entire walk home, Maki was utterly _buzzing_ with excitement. Sure, she’d let Nico-chan and Kayo-chin dominate the conversation as usual, but at least this time she was following it word for word instead of chasing some mental rabbit down it’s proverbial hole.  
  
The topic, as it frequently was, involved idols… but today’s focus was on the boys. Less idol, more eye-candy bands. They had a good sound, but just couldn’t hold Maki’s interest in quite the same way.  
  
Gee. Wonder why.  
  
“Right?” Nico burst out in response to Kayo’s earlier comment, “When Chao slid up on him and they did that sing in each others face thing?”  
  
“I had no idea Tadaaki could look so _intense,_ ” Kayo sighed, holding her cheeks.  
  
“I didn’t know if he wanted to punch him or kiss him,” Nico grinned, “I tell you, those boys are so damn lucky getting to play up that angle.”  
  
“They are,” Kayo pouted, “Can you _imagine_ if they were like Kaori and Miichi?”  
  
“Uhhhh, like, only _every night!_ ”  
  
The two idol maniacs squealed and batted at each other’s hands, which always made Maki want to grin. They were so damn _cute_ when they got together like this and Maki couldn’t be grateful enough to Kayo-chin for being such a perfect fit for Nico in every way that Maki lacked. The only thing that kept Maki from that by-proxy-bliss, was Rin.  
  
As often happened when the Kayo-Nico train got rolling, Rin fell to the back and got quiet. Less animated. Usually, Maki would be so busy trying to keep track of what was being said that she’d just assume that Rin was doing the same… but today was different. Rin’s subdued expression looked… sad this time. She wasn’t even watching the pair, unless you counted their shoes.  
  
So, before she had given herself time to think it over, Maki was crossing the distance to walk close enough to get the cat girl’s attention. It took longer than expected, but eventually Rin’s eyes turned her way… still too soon to have figured out what she’d wanted to say.  
  
“You okay?” Maki mouthed silently, exaggerating the visual enunciation to avoid drawing attention to themselves.  
  
The look she got in return was strange. A swift evolution of alarmed, then confusion, then something akin to disgust, back to confusion and finally settling on cautious.  
  
How does someone move that much of their face that fast? Jeez...  
  
Maki nudged her head toward the path behind and then slowed her pace, hoping to convey a little distance to let Rin speak freely. This worked great when Cocoa had been looking for an excuse for privacy to ask for advice last week, and from the looks of it, Rin caught the message loud and clear.  
  
So, after the loves of their lives tripled their lead, Maki started with a muted, “You don’t look too happy. What’s going on?”  
  
More facial struggling ensued, as if she were trying to restrain the coming answer, “I… Kayo-chin never gets _that_ excited when she talks about idols with me.”  
  
Without even taking the time to think about it, Maki asked, “Do you keep up on idol news like they do?”  
  
“No… Kayo-chin catches me up on everything she wants me to know.”  
  
“Well… that’s why then,” Maki shrugged, “With you, she’s a teacher. With Nico-chan, she’s a peer.”  
  
Rin glared and pouted, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”  
  
“Does seeing her like that make you feel bad?”  
  
“No! … kind of? Maybe?”  
  
“Why?” Maki prodded. Being this nosey felt… weird, but strangely empowering. Given how often she and Nico had been drilling straight to the center of every issue that popped up regardless of how uncomfortable it could be, it was encouraging to see that the same tactics worked on other people. Encouraging… and it felt like she was seriously turning on the internal adult.  
  
Unfortunately, it seemed to rubbed them the wrong way too. Rin growled a whisper, “Because I want her to be that excited when talking about things to me!”  
  
“Kayo-chin’s _always_ excited when she’s talking to you,” Maki droned, “Don’t tell me you’re pissed off that she has other friends.”  
  
Rin’s glare intensified. Maki could almost _see_ the upright cat ears and fur. Maybe those were fighting words, but if her time with Nico had taught her anything, fighting can lead to some pretty incredible things.  
  
Ack! Not now. Not the time. Not the person.  
  
“That’s… That’s not it,” Rin answered distantly, her ire deflating, “Rin’s not mad…”  
  
“So you’re jealous,” Maki replied, matching her tone with softness.  
  
Rin looked even more conflicted, so Maki continued, “Which is fine, as long as you don’t try to take it away from her.”  
  
“What do you know…” Rin sulked, now entirely avoiding eye contact.  
  
“Not a thing,” Maki shrugged, “Except that Rin is Kayo-chin’s favorite person and if it’s so important to you, you just have to start taking a personal interest in her interests.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“If you want to be on her level with this, then quit moping and get studying. It’s either that, or be happy that she has someone to share this kind of thing with and be grateful you don’t have to spend all that time trying to keep up.”  
  
“How is any of this _your_ business?” Rin grumbled, which admittedly hurt. More than expected.  
  
“I don’t like seeing my friends unhappy,” Maki whisper-shot back, feeling like she’d over-extended on this one and more than ready to back away. Her phone serendipitously buzzed twice, giving her an out which she eagerly accepted.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Maaaaaaaki-chan~  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** What are your thoughts on tails?  
  
The username alone was enough to cut through the moodiness her fellow feline idol may had inspired. The seeming random nature of the question was obviously loaded, but it would be a welcome distraction to keep her occupied while Rin took a time out. She’d bite.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Hair or other?  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Animal. In this case cats.  
  
Maki eyed Rin for a moment, who was still struggling with some sort of mental gymnastics.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Cats are fine. Does this pertain to anything in particular?  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Korekara no Someday outfits. Rin-chan is going to be our adorable Cheshire Cat and I’m frustrated with getting the tail to stay in place.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Almost every method to attach it directly to the bloomers just ends up with the base of the tail tipping back and ruining the leg’s poofiness!!  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡ I just want it to be perfect! Is that so much to ask!?

 **terrible.tomato.roll:** So, how am I supposed to help?  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** You’re going to talk me out of telling poor little Rin-chan that we’re going to have to go with one of these.  
  
The following text had a link that Maki tapped without thinking. Naturally, given that this was Kotori’s _alternate_ account she had felt inclined to message from, it brought up a tail that attached by butt-plug. Maki’s pulse shot up by a multitude or two and she tapped minimize the instant the page loaded.  
  
Wide-eyed, she looked around but Rin was still internalizing and NicoPana were still preoccupied giggling over something about the C-Pop boys they were discussing earlier and sandwiches. Odd thing to be so flustered-squealing over, but still a pleasant view. She was safe.  
  
Maki was about mid-way through tapping out a sternly worded denial when she remembered that she still kind of hurt over the cat girl’s defensiveness.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I suppose there’s no helping it. She’ll just have to take one for the team.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** ✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡  Now we’re talking! I never would have expected an ally in the staunch and proper Lady Nishikino!~!  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** It’s for the sake of µ's. Plus I’m ticked at her.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Holy crap, how did you make the muse sign?!  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** ALT+0181  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Your phone has alt-capable keyboards?  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** What the hell, rich girl?!  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** We have the same phone. :P For on this I copy and paste from favorites.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** That’s too much work.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** So, whose breaking the news to Rin-chan that she’s surrendering her butt for the cat?  
  
Even without her _incredibly illicit_ relationship with Nico, Kotori would have probably gotten her to her current level of desensitized anyway. Said catgirl was currently eyeing her cautiously, probably wondering why she’d just snorted while trying to stop a laugh.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I’m more interested in what kind of life experiences led to you thinking of _that_ as an option.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Wouldn’t _you_ like to know. To think our little Maki-chan was so _perverted_ .  
  
Maki’s smile shifted into a smirk. If she only knew.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I’d bring it up to her as a gag if you’d back me up.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Nooooope nope nope. This girl is keeping all of that noise on the down-low. Maki-chan gets to be in the inner circle.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I never asked, how did I earn the “honor?”  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** A few reasons. One, is that Maki-chan is _very_ cute.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** There’s also the fact that you look like you’ve seen some things. I always thought you were interesting, but after you showed up to our first live drunk. I _had_ to know more.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I was **_not_ ** drunk! I just hadn’t slept in a few days!  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Lack of sleep drunk then. Still interesting, particularly in a top-tier academic like Maki-chan. The main reason was because Honoka-chan clearly wants to climb all over you… and that usually means that Honoka-chan is going to eventually end up climbing all over you.  
  
Heat hit Maki’s face hard at this. Immediately, she set to furiously tapping out a reply.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** No way!!! I wouldn’t do that to you or Umi!  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Aww, Maki-chan’s so cute when she’s being naive. She has a lot to learn about polyamory  <3  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Obviously this doesn’t apply to Umi-chan.  <3 She’s _all_ mine. Honoka-chan has my blessing, but let’s be honest. Girl does what she wants.  
  
Maki stared at the blatant confirmation of Honoka’s role in the trio’s relationship that up until now she had only guessed at. Her face’s temperature was rising by the second and reading that there was a very real possibility that the boundlessly energetic, quintessentially adorable, and utterly shameless Kousaka Honoka, living personification of what Nico had confessed she idealized an idol to be, very well may be making a pass at her some time in the future. Intense and intimate passes.  
  
Oh damn.  
  
_Oh damn._  
  
Oh. Dammit. That’s a bad thing!  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I feel bad for her, because Nishikino Maki may be otherwise spoken for.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Oh hoh?  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Well I know you’re not hiding a secret fiance your family hooked you up with because I’ve seen Maki-chan being happy. Maki-chan is the lipstickiest of lesbians I’ve ever seen, so those two facts don’t match.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Who is the super lucky girl and _why did you not tell me about this sooner?_ _  
_ _  
_ Not sure how she was supposed to feel about it, but still taking strange pride in the absurd “lipstickiest of lesbians” bit, Maki settled into an easy smile and tapped out her reply, almost entirely ignoring her surroundings now. She had _just_ the work-around for this. _  
_ _  
_ **terrible.tomato.roll:** Music. Obviously.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Right. I bet you never sleep because you’re up all night “composing.” It’s Hanayo-chan, isn’t it? She’s such a sweet girl! I keep thinking if I were a better person I’d be more like her.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** We’d _all_ be better people if we were like Kayo-chin, but no. I’m pretty sure her heart belongs to someone else.  
  
There _was_ some fun to keeping secrets.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Everyone in this group is a leg-locking lesbian, aren’t they? xD Let me guess for Hanayo then. Nico-senpai?

  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** If they’re going to be connected by the hip anyway, they may as well… you know?  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Anytime that I worry that I’m going too far, you always find a way to expand my standards. Also, no way. You know Nico’s too pro for that kind of thing. We _all_ sat through _that_ talk. I’m sure that Kayo-chin’s relationship, if any, is as pure as it gets.  
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Blushing at hand holding. Cautious of indirect kisses. Stuff like that.  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Too true! She’s _SO_ adorable! … and you are _so_ full of it. I’m not convinced you aren’t shacking up with some insanely attractive lady somewhere. There’s no other way you’d be able to deny my girl~  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Oh! Oh god! I bet Nico-senpai would be a _monster_ in the sack. Super demanding. Total diva. Absolute power bottom.  
  
Maki couldn’t help herself. She squealed with laughter, doubling over and clutching her phone to her chest. That was just _too_ much. She couldn’t stop! Squeals devolved into giggles _long_ past the point her face turning red and tears streaming down her cheeks. She actually had to stop walking and crouch to avoid just falling over.  
  
Her phone buzzed a few more times, but when she calmed down enough to be capable of checking it, she had three sets of eyes staring, so away the phone went. Nico was grinning ear to ear, Kayo-chin looked like she did when watching cute animal videos on Line… and Rin? Rin was staring with wide eyes and the _deepest_ blush she’d ever seen on the girl.  
  
“Sorry,” Maki waved off, still catching her breath, “Funny Line conversation.”  
  
“You gonna make it?” Nico teased, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you crack up that bad.”  
  
“I’ll tell you later,” Maki breathed through her unstoppable smile, far more emotion flowing through her words than she was used to in public, “Sorry about that. I’m good.”  
  
“God, µ's girls are so cute,” Nico sighed, looping an arm around Hanayo, “So, yes, like I was saying. Yeong Sun. Tight, or tightest?”  
  
Their conversation returned to the illicit whispers from earlier and Maki reached for her handkerchief to dab her face with, her smile still pressed into her cheeks. So much happiness was still bubbling through her that when she looked up and saw poor Rin still blushing up a storm, she rolled with it, winked, and said, “Sorry about that. I just read something I wasn’t expecting.”  
  
Rin looked somehow even _more_ flustered, which _totally_ fueled Maki’s happy train. Enough to surpass the awkwardness of earlier and continue, “Sorry if I overstepped earlier. I just don’t like seeing Rin being sad. It feels wrong.”  
  
The catgirl shifted from being red-faced and flustered, to being red-faced and awkwardly scratching at the back of her neck to reply, “It’s… it’s not a problem.”  
  
As Maki continued to dab away the evidence of her giggling, Rin seemed to be squirreling up the courage to ask something, so Maki pre-empted her and encouraged, “What’s up?”  
  
“I… didn’t know that Maki-chan was with anyone…”  
  
Oh. Crap. Any panic that might have come from the statement was suppressed by the leftover endorphins from the giggle fit, so her smile didn’t drop completely when she replied, “... You were reading over my shoulder? How much did you see?”  
  
Rin avoided eye contact, watching the street as she admitted, “Right before what you said about Kayo-chin… I didn’t mean to, I just… It was there and I...”  
  
Maki dabbed with a little more haste and a little less care as she tried to steer Rin back on track, “It’s fine. Like I told _her_ , It’s not like that… but… I do like girls. Can you keep that a secret?”  
  
“I… Rin won’t tell anyone,” Rin agreed, her voice taking on a strangely reverent tone, “Rin promises.”  
  
“Thanks,” Maki breathed, giving her eyes one last wipe before packing the kerchief away.  
  
In a quiet voice, Rin replied, “Maki-chan likes girls...”  
  
“That’s not a problem, is it?”  
  
“No… and your friend on the phone is the same?”  
  
“What? A girl that likes girls?”  
  
“... yeah.”  
  
“I think it’s not as rare as you think. At least at Otonokizaka. It definitely surprised me… I figured I’d be the only one.”  
  
Since they were in the thick of it now, Maki felt like further cementing this by admitting, “Though, I kind of came to this school in part to avoid boys.”  
  
“Boys can be really mean,” Rin nodded seriously, “We had some boy friends in grade school. Boys that were friends, that is. They picked on Kayo-chin near the end so I had to kick their butts.”  
  
“How chivalrous of you,” Maki grinned, seeing an opportunity, “Honestly, I always thought the two of you would make a great couple. It might just be because I’m the way I am, but I always thought it looked like Kayo-chin sees the world in you. She doesn’t look at anyone else like that.”  
  
Rin’s blush remained, but all of the previous mood disappeared from her countenance as she giggled and had to look away, “Oh my god, don’t say that Maki-chan!”  
  
Maki smirked, “What? Too on the nose?”  
  
Rin stepped much closer, avoiding eye contact, and confessed, “You keep a secret too. Maki-chan is right about Kayo-chin. We _do_ make a good couple.”  
  
Smile level: Idol. Maki was on top of the world. “I _knew_ it,” she grinned, “Congratulations.”  
  
“Hee hee,” Rin proudly grinned, rubbing her nose. She looked up and her expression froze.  
  
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. We’re going to keep each other’s secrets, right?” Maki winked and raised a pinky, “No way I’d betray you two.”  
  
Rin absently raised her hand and linked her pinky, not taking her eyes from Maki’s, “Rin too. Promise.” Her voice was strangely distant again.  
  
“Thanks again for lunch. I didn’t mean to fall over on you like that. I really need those lunch naps.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
They unlinked just in time to nearly bump into NicoPana. They had come to the break in their commutes and Nico was apparently air-dropping something that warranted speaking in very subdued tones.  
  
“Thanks,” Hanayo whispered as her phone dinged. She bit her lip and then hooked arms with a still awkwardly staring Rin. Today was just _loaded_ with confidence boosters wasn’t it?  
  
“See you ladies on Monday~ Enjoy the day off ‘cause we’re gonna kick it into high gear. I’m expecting those written bios to submit to Dengeki first thing,” Nico instructed.  
  
“Yes Captain!” Hanayo saluted proudly.  
  
“Ehh!? Homework!!?” Rin cried out. Whatever spell she had been under apparently broken.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you, Rin-chan,” Hanayo assured, “See you both later!”  
  
… and they were alone. A dynamic commute, but Maki was feeling _very_ happy about it just being the two of them again. From the look of Nico’s grin, the feeling was mutual.  
  
“So. Maki-chan, what did I miss back there?”  
  
“A talk with Kotori. I’ll show you when we get home.”  
  
“Shyeah right,” Nico scoffed, “Maybe a few hours later. I know how you work. Here, gimme,” Nico demanded, holding her hand out.  
  
“Ehh? Don’t be a creeper, trying to take a woman’s phone. What do I get in return?” Maki shot back.  
  
“A preview of the _incredibly_ special surprise Nico brought for later,” Nico teased, waving her bag under Maki’s nose. Given how badly she wanted to share the dig that had caused the outburst _anyway_ , Maki acquiesced and exchanged phone for bag.  
  
As Nico casually tapped in Maki’s password, Maki opened the bag, peeked inside, and felt her ears catch on fire as the sight inside set her blush into the most intense overdrive she’d felt in weeks. She snapped the bag closed, stared at her girlfriend in disbelief who was too busy flipping through the conversation with a smirk to notice, and dared another peek.  
  
“Pretty cool, huh?” Nico commented as she scrolled, “ _That_ , my pretty little girl, is the purchasing power of an _adult_ … or at least someone who tricked a store owner into thinking she was.”  
  
It… well…. it definitely created a new possibility for how their evening would unfold.  
  
“You went through the entire school day with _this_ in your bag?”  
  
“At the bottom. Nico put it at the top just now so she could savor her Maki-chan’s most brilliant tomato mode.”  
  
Maki stared as they walked, starting to fall behind as her mind raced with just _how_ the… harness? Belt? What would you even call this? How whatever it was called was going to be put to use… and _be_ used on. Which end was Nico intending to be aiming _her_ way?  
  
“Holy crap, Maki-chan… this is some serious talk you were…” Nico trailed off, locking eyes for a moment before her own widened, “Maki-chan. We need to get you home. Now.”  
  
She grabbed Maki’s hand and started pulling. She barely managed to get Nico’s bag closed before they started running. Was Nico really _that_ eager?”  
  
“Your makeup,” Nico managed between deep slow breaths, “It looks like you rubbed some of it off.”  
  
“Bueh!?” Maki replied, caught totally off guard. Oh crap… Rin had been staring… was it at that? Not certain she wanted the answer, she managed, “How bad is it?”  
  
“Maki-chan’s got a shiner. Gotta get you home before any fans spot us. Battered is not a good look for idols.”  
  
“Ugh… I’m pretty sure... Rin noticed” Maki admitted, already starting to lose the breathing rhythm battle.  
  
That didn’t seem to be a problem for her adorably petite girlfriend. Blazer and cardigan flapping at her sides, pigtails bouncing about her cheeks, she cut such a dramatic figure that Maki simply let herself be pulled along and marvel at the view, rather than remind the girl that they almost _never_ saw anyone at this hour after passing the RinPana Border.  
  
Nico-chan may have claimed it was for preserving their idol image, but Maki knew better. This was entirely because Nico-chan cared. Because she knew how uncomfortable Maki was with “Tanuki mode,” and she didn’t want her to have to deal with wandering eyes. As they ran, she forgot all about Rin noticing, potential Honoka encounters, and concerns over which end was supposed to be going in whom.  
  
The only thing on Maki’s mind was the dedication Nico was putting into protecting her… and just how warm and safe that made her feel.  
  
God, she just loved her _so_ much...  


 

* * *

**Hoshizora Rin**

  
“Kayo-chin…”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Did you have a good talk with Nico-senpai?”  
  
“I did! µ's aside, I’m really glad that we became friends. I keep learning so much.”  
  
Rin smiled for the first time since… well… Rin smiled and replied, “So I guess Nico-senpai really is a senpai after all, nya?”  
  
Hanayo laughed, silver bells, “Rin-chan! She’d be so annoyed!”  
  
Rin’s smile went feline, “Nico-senpai is _really_ fun to pick on! She’s so easy!!”  
  
Hanayo’s laughter turned to giggles, “Were you having fun picking on Maki-chan?”  
  
Rin’s smile dropped a little. After a beat, Rin admitted, “Rin… doesn’t really know anything _about_ Maki-chan…”  


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  
  
What may as well have been a thousand thoughts were flailing and crashing into each other as they ran. All _super_ important, each one _demanding_ focus. Since Maki-chan would be too focused on breathing to talk about things, she tried to make sense of the various fires that just burst into the scene.  
  
\- The acknowledgement that Hanners was bi and apparently on some level poly (if the invitation/not-invitation was to be taken seriously)  
  
\- The bombshell that Maki probably hadn’t even realized the significance of that the second years were not just a trio of incredible talent, they were a trio of lovers.  
\- One of them being a polyamorous loose-cannon who just so happened to _also_ be the idol group’s de facto leader.  
  
\- Kotori had a secret Line account with a _very_ surprising handle that she was using to talk to her girlfriend/group’s songwriter with.  
  
\- Honoka was apparently thirsty for Maki-chan, which was blitzing _all over_ her confidence. Honoka was just so blissfully unaware of how amazing she was that Nico couldn’t help but feel like she would forever be scrambling to keep up… not that she’d tell _anyone_ as much.  
  
\- Honoka. _Wanted_. ** _Her_**. Maki-chan.  
  
\- Maki-chan thought way more of Hanners than Nico had realized. When had they gotten so close?!  
  
\- Her idol group was an incestuous nest of stupidly cute super-gays.  
  
\- Perhaps most importantly of the moment, Maki’s first response to the big reveal hadn’t been excitement… not even a suggestive look.  
  
She looked scared. Flustered and intimidated.  
  
Maki-chan looking scared had somehow become one of _the_ top heartbreaking things on the planet. Utterly unacceptable. It… looked _wrong_. Disturbing. Completely at odds with all that was good and right.  
  
Somewhere underneath the maelstrom of thoughts, she considered how mismatched her priorities had become. Despite how her future career could be at stake if the team somehow got outed, the storm was dominated by scared Maki-chan and an indomitable Honoka trying to steal her away.  
  
At least all of the training helped make crossing the distance from the RinPana Split-off to Casa de Nishikino take far less time. Maki-chan was usually _so careful_ with her makeup… and once it set in that her secret may be out she was probably going to be pretty depressed about it. Today was quickly devolving from an A+ pre-date snugglepalooza to a multi-tiered crisis.  
  
“Nico-chan!” Maki gasped behind her, now haggard and breathing _really_ hard.  
  
“Crap! Sorry!” Nico apologized, slowing and then completely stopping as her girlfriend leaned against a the wall, only a few buildings away from her home, and tried to gasp her way to catching up on breath.  
  
“It’s… okay… Just need… a second…”  
  
To be fair, Nico was huffing pretty hard now herself. That was not an insignificant dash they just pulled off… and after a moment, Nico’s focus shifted from the point of Tanuki Maki-exposure to her expression as a whole.  
  
Red faced, obviously, at least where makeup wasn’t completely hiding it. Sweating, as if she hadn’t already been heated enough from practice (obviously not the time but _damn_ Maki-chan’s musk was appealing). Deep shuddering breaths, still rolling. Through it all though, she was smiling _so_ wide that for just a second… Nico forgot that anything was wrong.  
  
“So… maybe a shower when we get in?” Maki suggested, expressive in ways that were usually reserved for multiple no-sleep nights Exhausted Maki. Nico’s bliss second extended and and plateaued into an almost uncontrollable urge to cradle that beautiful pancake face in her hands and shower her with the most awkward compliments she could think of. How could anything be wrong in the world when a girlfriend as cute as her thinks the world of you?  
  
“Probably. Today is silly warm. It’d only be the responsible thing to do,” Nico agreed, having to restrain herself from bringing up the (not inexpensive and fairly tricky to stealthily obtain) strap-on again. She’d been _excited_ about that!  
  
“Did you have any homework you needed to take care of before we started on wrapping up the bio?”  
  
“Nope!” Nico bald-face lied, “Nico wants to maximize her Maki-chan time. I missed getting to spend any with her at lunch today. She was busy making Rin blush her cheeks out.”  
  
“Eh?” Maki asked, stepping away from the wall, but still not quite breath-stable, “All I did was eat and sleep again.”  
  
“When Nico looked in, sleepy Maki-chan was nuzzling her face into poor Rin’s skirt. Hanayo was _crackin’ up._ ”  
  
Rather than get further flustered as expected, Maki looked thoughtful. She restarted her commute and claimed Nico’s hand again, which _would_ have looked pretty cool, but her hair was so messed up from their wild dash that the girl just looked eccentric.  
  
Adorable, attractive, but eccentric.  
  
When they reached the house before Maki’s, the redhead finally spoke up again, “So, about… the thing.”  
  
“The thing? What do y-Oh! Right. The thing. Right… what about it?”  
  
“It’s… interesting. What were your intents for it?”  
  
Nico blinked. Had she misinterpreted Maki’s earlier response? “Do… you know what it is?!”  
  
“I know!” Maki replied defensively.  
  
“Then…. What else would we use it for _but_ … like… _that_?”  
  
“So… you want to… to me?”  
  
She seemed less immediately put off by the idea, but that could just be the earlier smile not having faded yet. As more of a stall for time for her to form the right words than anything else, Nico asked, “Would that be bad?”  
  
Since it was mostly a throw-away question, Maki’s hesitation to reply didn’t worry. Especially since Nico quickly followed up with an honest, “It… may not have been my _first_ thought with it.”  
  
At that, Maki’s eyes went wide and the smile persisted, “You want _me…_ to… _you?_  
  
Her voice sounded amused enough that Nico felt defensive, “Well it’s not like you’ve got one of your own!”  
  
“I didn’t know you wanted… that.”  
  
“I’m a bisexual icon, baby~” Nico quietly bragged, trying to play off this awkwardness, “I figured since Maki-chan was making all my _dreams_ come true, why not dig into the fantasies?”  
  
Salvo successful. Critical hit. “Sh… shut up…” Maki whined, finger practically _teleporting_ to her hair as she looked away.  
  
“Haven’t heard _that_ in a while,” Nico preened, _thoroughly_ enjoying turning the sexual confidence dynamic around for a change, “Does that make Maki-chan _embarrassed?”_  
  
“Not particularly,” Maki replied, failing her bluff check spectacularly by blushing like the adorable tomato she was, “If _anyone_ is going to do that for you after all, it may as well be me.”  
  
Duh. God. This was too good to not continue riding her on (Ha! Phrasing) so she slid in closer and turned on her meek JAV voice, “Really? D-does Maki-chan think she’s... up to the task?”  
  
“... Tch. Of course. No problem at all,” Maki squirmed, even _more_ uncomfortable, “I’ll… definitely use it… to…”  
  
Ultimate sly grin mode engage. Blood in the water. Nico went for the kill, dropping the coy voice and indulging the renewed opportunity with a quiet and illicitly deep, “Maki-chan… is going to _fuck_ her Nico?”  
  
Maki recoiled, her ears flaming red. Crude language to that level was _really_ not her forte, but it had a hilariously potent effect on the girl. While in the middle of… activities, deep in the mood, it always seemed to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Out of nowhere like this? She just couldn’t cope. There’s no way Honoka could do _this_ to her Maki.  
  
_“Nico-chan!”_ Maki whined, tapping her ID to release the mag-lock of her front gate, “What the hell?”  
  
Ahh, this is just what the doctor ordered. Nothin’ like teasing your girlfriend to stave off the unpleasantness of reality.  
  
Nico led the way to the door, walking backward and leaning forward with half-lidded eyes, speaking in a lower, deeper, and quieter tone, “What? That’s what I got it for… I want _my_ Maki-chan to _literally_ drill _her_ Nico into the mattress~”  
  
Maki couldn’t even come _close_ to making eye contact with her now. Possessiveness was still a relatively new angle they were exploring. Neither of them seemed to have quite figured out its impact or importance for the other. Hell, Nico wasn’t even certain of her _own_ feelings on the topic. Given her reaction to the Honoka news… there was definitely _something_ that required some exploration.  
  
Maki continued to fumble with her bag trying to retrieve her keys, so Nico continued, leaning in to savor every second of this neon blush, “That’s not so bad, is it? It’s only natural… for me to want my _gorgeous_ girlfriend to… be _inside_ me…”  
  
“How the heck can you say stuff like that so easily?” Maki grumbled, finally finding the right key, “Aren’t we supposed to go over my bio for the Dengeki submission before… any of that?”  
  
“It’s _not_ easy,” Nico replied softly, sentiment swelling past the mischievousness and almost predatory desire to fluster. Before she knew it, she was confessing, “It’s not like I could say stuff like this to just anyone. I was fairly certain that I’d never find anyone who would… you know… want...”  
  
All of the heartfelt words the moment had inspired that she had come close to sharing froze in Nico’s throat as the door opened and the Nishikino’s caretaker turned to greet them.  
  
“Oh! Hey kiddo! Welcome home!”  
  
Maki seemed to be taken off guard just as heavily as Nico, barely able to stammer out a, “Ah… I’m… I’m home. Hello, Waki-san.”  
  
Well… that’s _one_ way to cool the hell off.  
  
Dammit!

  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

 

Fortunately for their plans, Waki-san was actually just wrapping up before heading out. Something about getting held up on the phone longer than expected. Either way, it _was_ nice to see her. Maki had been looking forward to introducing Nico to her, even if she couldn’t be perfectly open about the girl’s full significance in her life.  
  
That, and Nico had her on the ropes so bad that if Waki _hadn’t_ been there, they wouldn’t have made it past the entryway.  
  
Either way, Waki-san was _delighted_ with Nico, who had recovered fast enough to turn on the charm. Not the idol charm either! The real person affability that had so easily won over her Mother and the “good influence” nod from her Father.  
  
If they only knew…  
  
As Waki had set to making an after-school snack for the two (her insistence), they settled in to wrap up “homework,” which is to say they scribbled ideas for finally pinning down Maki’s idol persona. They had been ironing it out in private for days. It had been a fairly slow process so far, mostly because they had significantly conflicting ideas for how to go about it.  
  
Clearly, as Maki continued to attest, if she was going to be creating an identity that was separate from who she really was, yet close enough that it would come naturally, she should be the artistic dreamer. Hair unkempt, quickly trading her school uniform for torn jeans splattered with paint after school to sit in the windowsill with her guitar and letting her spirit flow straight from her heart to the strings.  
  
Approachable, care free, open, emotive, heart on her sleeve passionate. Always wearing a wise-beyond-her-years smile that would mimic the expression Nico had praised so much from her more exhausted moments. All the things she’d… really prefer to be. It would give her an excuse to really focus on adding the guitar to her repertoire and to hunker down with Nico to _really_ break through the years of schooling her expression to not match her feelings.  
  
Until recently, no one would have wanted to see _that_ .  
  
Past the explanations she’d shared, Maki could just... _see_ it. So clearly. Maybe by pretending that person was her… so unburdened by the future and so at peace with herself and those around her, maybe she could _become_ that ideal. Become her own idol. Someone that no one felt the need to worry about. Someone… dependable. Reliable.  
  
Someone worthy of everything this year had given her.  
  
Of course, that was all very dramatic. Unnecessarily so. So… she kept it to herself. Nico didn’t really need to be dealing with all of that right now. Something was _really_ stressing her out and whatever it was, it was serious enough to hide until RinPana had gone their separate ways.  
  
So, as borderline distasteful and utterly unsatisfying as it was, Maki accepted Nico’s suggestion. The epitome of self-absorbed, a high-class elite. Utterly confident and completely aware of her superiority. Regal, mature, refined… and as far as Maki was concerned a real grade-A bitch, which is a word she almost _never_ used. She didn’t like it… and she didn’t really like this character they’d developed.  
  
The problem was the reasoning behind it. It was sound. It met expectations. It was based in the “truth” that others assumed of her, which was nine-tenths of the reason Maki disliked it so much. It was what kept other people away for so long… and it was exactly what the greater part of her family expected of her.  
  
She was the only child of the family’s primary line. The heiress. The one-day matriarch of the Nishikino. Her decisions and whims would direct the movement of literally _trillions_ of yen, thousands of jobs, and more directly the welfare of a hospital that is a pillar in the community that this idol group was helping to preserve. This persona? It was _perfect_ for the role that she was to eventually assume…  
  
So what does it say when she hated almost everything that playing that part would entail?  
  
“Here you go. A light snack for hard-working girls. Now, Ms. Yazawa, you make sure our little tomato here doesn’t work _too_ hard, alright? I worry since I never see her anymore,” Waki asked with a wink, clearly reveling in the teasing.  
  
“I promise to be the _worst_ influence I can possibly be. Just don’t tell her parents, alright?” Nico replied, giving her fork a twirl before spearing a slice of tomato and mozzarella, “Thanks for the food!~”  
  
“Naturally,” Waki laughed.  
  
Yeah... At least _they_ were hitting it off well… not that Maki had expected anything other. The two settled in on devouring the simple caprese, breaking to bid Waki farewell before Nico commented, “She is _not_ what I’d expected. Way younger. No wonder you like her so much.”  
  
“Waki-san’s been there for me longer than anyone,” Maki shrugged, “For a while, when I was really little, I thought I had two mothers and a father.”  
  
“Jeez, quit being so cute all the time! _I’m_ supposed to be the adorable one here!” Nico teased before spearing another bite, “Also, if _this_ is what you consider a snack, it makes sense that you’re so thin. Usually snacks have more… salt or sugar to them.”  
  
“This? This is one of my favorite things,” Maki smiled, taking care not to wolf it down like she usually would, “Simple. Flavorful.”  
  
“It’s got tomatoes,” Nico added.  
  
“... That too,” Maki admitted.  
  
“So, these intro bios need photos to back ‘em up. Give the fans somethin’ to latch on to,” Nico redirected to the business at hand.  
  
“You’ve mentioned.”  
  
“I’ve got an idea for yours, but I still need a shot for mine too… Nozomi has this ridiculous old photo from last year with me in a bikini on the beach that she is insisting on. Like, really!” Nico groaned, “She even said she’d doctor the photo to make it more ‘flattering.’”  
  
“Nico-chan doesn’t need anything like that,” Maki replied offhandedly, focusing more on the food than the conversation, “If it’s Nico-chan, she should be wearing her cardigan.”  
  
“Oh yeah? You really like that thing, don’t you?”  
  
“It’s just as much your trademark as the pigtails.”  
  
“About which… I’ve been thinking of dropping them lower for this. Maybe down to my chin? I can tease a lot more body into them if I don’t fight gravity.”  
  
“I don’t know. Isn’t that a little close to Nozomi’s style? I like them like this,” Maki pouted, reaching out to bat at the nearest of the two, “They widen your face.”  
  
“Aww, would my pancake-faced Maki-chan feel left out if her Nico turned on the svelte?”  
  
“You can hardly call pigtails ‘ _svelte,’_ Nico-chan. Also, wouldn’t you be annoyed having to permanently change your hairstyle, since you’d have fans at Otonokizaka?”  
  
Nico barked out a laugh, “ _There’s_ something I never considered. Fans at our own school…”  
  
“You already have eight,” Maki smiled, sensing the opportunity to get a shot in on her girlfriend’s rare show of weakness, “Twelve actually, counting the A/V club.”  
  
Nico shook her fork at Maki, “I can’t count my _girlfriend_ as a _fan_ .” She may be protesting, but it was clear that the words hit home.  
  
Maki kept pushing, “You’re right. I’m _far_ too interested to be considered a mere _fan_ .”  
  
“Hey, don’t take fans lightly!” Nico laughed, “This group will ride or die depending on them.”  
  
“That has nothing to do with me,” Maki shrugged, taking her last bite and finishing with, “I knew you before you got big. Ground level. Among the first ten in your corner. Gold card member.”  
  
“Jeez, you know how to get a girl’s motor runnin’. Alright then, what do _you_ think would be a good intro shot for me?”  
  
“I’ve actually got an idea… but let’s do it after we get my shot out of the way,” Maki replied, as she took the plating to the sink and leaned back on the counter. She batted at her hair, still unruly from their dash and sighed, “I want this over with…”  
  
“Jeez, you _really_ don’t like this persona, do you?”  
  
“... not really…”  
  
“... Alright. It’s a shame, but I guess it can’t be helped. You’d _really_ rock the lofty princess vibe.”  
  
“The write-up is just so… fake?”  
  
“That’s kind of how initial bios go for school idols. You should see Tsubasa Kira’s. You wouldn’t even be able to recognize her if you compared that first look to how she is now. Would you believe she started with the cute track before sliding into her more naturally cool persona?”  
  
A-RISE again. “You reference their group a lot.”  
  
Nico leaned over the counter, stretching her arms across, “They’re the most successful. Their formula is an elevated form of what school idols have been up to this point. The new standard. Almost all of this focus on the culture right now is because of how much funding UTX has put toward pushing their brand with A-RISE as a primary selling point.”  
  
As simple as Nico could be at times, when it came to idols, she was a shark. Demonstrating that level of know-how and the business surrounding it? Actually pretty damn attractive.  
  
“... So their leader’s persona evolved?”  
  
“That’s part of the game, Maki-chan. You have a starter personality, and then, over the course of your group’s time in the spotlight, they develop. Grow up. Give the fans something to grow with and either identify with or obsess over. You start as a simple archetype, then make it more real as time goes on.”  
  
Maki frowned, “Well… how about we start with your idea, but the hook of the character is wanting to be something more?”  
  
“Something more than rich, talented, and destined for great things? Almost sounds greedy,” Nico laughed.  
  
“... It’s lonely.”  
  
Nico stared at her girlfriend. It always felt good to have Nico’s eyes on her, but this time meant she was finally getting her point across. Maki continued, “No one actually _likes_ a person like that. They might idealize them, but more often just avoid them. They talk _about_ them, not _to_ them. Any comfort security like that brings doesn’t matter because you’re too alone to be able to share it.”  
  
Nico remained silent for a moment, so Maki crossed the distance to the other side of the counter, reaching out to tap on the smaller woman’s fingers, “If I’m going to be starting off as a rich snob or whatever, let’s make the point of the character growing out of that. Finding a way to connect with others.”  
  
“Loneliness is one hell of a hook,” Nico agreed, her tone showing that she _clearly_ understood the double meaning of their conversation, “It makes the fans want to comfort you. Take care of you. Be that person to make things better and heal your heart. I like it.”  
  
Nico stopped Maki’s tapping by interlocking those fingers with her own, “It’s a dangerous one though. That kind of persona path can lead to some pretty fanatical fans.”  
  
“So we work the… story… to have that girl find her people in µ's. Maybe in an honest girl with a completely different aesthetic than her’s… from a completely different background,” Maki led, “Someone… more experienced in life.”  
  
Nico grinned, “You just want an excuse to make NicoMaki canon.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“When you pair two people up, fandoms usually make a combined name to signify the couple. Canon is like… the official storyline.”  
  
“Why is it NicoMaki? Why not MakiNico?”  
  
“Doesn’t roll off the tongue as well and you know it,” Nico grinned, eyes sparkling.  
  
“I’ll roll _you_ off my tongue,” Maki winked.  
  
“Hey! That one worked!” Nico laughed, “Come on. Let’s go get you changed. I saw _just_ the thing in your closet for this.”  
  
“Yeah yeah… let me go touch up my concealer first.”

 

**\--------  --------**

 

While the writeup was still a little… embarrassing, Maki could finally get behind the direction of her character. The photo that Nico set up was also really satisfying… even if her girlfriend had to climb a tree outside the window to get it. She’d changed into a simple white house gown, which was essentially an extra long white button up with long sleeves, a deep U-cut neckline, and length that had required a lot of hiking up that Nico insisted on to show off her legs around mid-thigh.  
  
The whole shot, taken from outside the window looking in on the piano, carried an innocent “what kind of world awaits?” kind of vibe. Maki had insisted on adding a choker, suggesting the symbolism of her real voice being locked by her circumstance that would disappear as the character developed. It also added to the prisoner motif that the window’s lattice suggested. Nico went along with it, mostly because it helped complete the framing of her face but praised her for thinking of it.  
  
Embarrassing as a whole, but the end product couldn’t be denied. While Maki read through the still pretentious rewrite, Nico set to the task of teasing her own hair for maximum body. It looked like she was still aiming to go with the low tails, which Maki couldn’t help but pout at. If she was going for cute, she should be keeping them high. These low-tails reminded Maki too much of the girl just letting her hair hang loose… which had a completely _different_ mood attached. Still, Nico _was_ the fashion expert of the group. Even Kotori had vouched for the girl’s insight, taste, and know-how… “poop” hat aside.  
  
“So, what did you have in mind for this?” Nico cut in, returning Maki’s thoughts to the task at hand, “As much as I like being stripped down in your room, I’m pretty sure you’re not going to suggest anything like _that_ for this shoot, are you?”  
  
“Not for the ones we’re submitting anyway,” Maki teased, leaving some leeway for later. She continued to dig through her drawer, sleeves rolled up to mid-bicep, and continued, “Just keep setting up the pillows.”  
  
The idea was a top-down shot of Nico laying on pink sheets, surrounded by pillows, bags, accessories, and Maki’s own old and well-loved seal plush Tomomi. Pinks, purples, yellows and reds. All warm colors that would match the red-and-white-polka-dot bows that Nico had brought and would hopefully bring out the ruby in her eyes, standing bright amidst the stark contrast of her pale skin. The main item was still being sought out. Maki had an old brilliant red sweater that she loved the design and of, but almost never wore because of her hair.  
  
It would look _marvelous_ on Nico. She actually intended on just giving it to the girl, assuming she could find the damn thing!  
  
“Maaaaaki-chaaaaan~ Nico is ready for her close-up~”  
  
Maki turned, felt her pulse spike as the only thing protecting the girl’s modesty was a pure white singlet that barely reached her naval and very deliberate leg placement.  
  
“Not helping!” Maki snapped, rubbing the warmth from her ears that was undoubtedly showing throughout her entire face now, given that she’d unsealed Tanuki Maki after her own shoot, and moved on to another drawer, “You are so…”  
  
“Distracting?” Nico offered.  
  
“ _Yes,”_ Maki confirmed, switching to yet another drawer and replacing fluster with victory, “Got it!”  
  
“Ooo! That’s so pretty!” Nico lit up, forgetting modesty to crawl to the edge of the bed, “... and it looks so _comfy!”_  
  
“I told you I had something good!” Maki preened, trying to focus on Nico’s bright and excited smile instead of… well… _everything else_ , “It’s long enough that it should cover everything without a problem, but not so long as to hide too much of your legs.”  
  
“You mean these?” Nico teased, kicking from the knees as she slid the sweater over her head.  
  
“... Are you _looking_ for trouble?” Maki warned, not trying to hide her smile, “I’m _trying_ to be professional here.”  
  
“Eh?! Nico in trouble? Why would that be~?” Nico teased back after she freed her pigtails from the sweater’s neckline, “Nico’s a good girl! She brings smiles to _everyone!!”_  
  
“Yeah yeah, now go lay down, hug Tomomi-chan and _try_ to look innocent,” Maki shot back.  
  
“Let Nico get some more bows!!” she cheered, frantically pulling from her bag and procuring a pre-made yellow bow with golden filigree and a tiny plush bunny, “... and a bow for Tomomi… and Usa-chi can hug _her_ bum!”  
  
Maki stared at the new addition, a cling-on plush with clothespin arms, and commented, “That’s… really cute.”  
  
“Isn’t she!?!” Nico exclaimed, still laying the cute on thick as she booped noses with the little thing before hugging it to Tomomi’s rump, “See, Nico is like Tomo-chan and Maki-chan is like little Usa-chi. She just wants to latch on and never let go~”  
  
Maki checked the camera’s settings and checked the overhead lights situated around her bed’s canopy and corrected, “Tomo **_mi_ ** . Also, _you’re_ the tiny one, remember? Spread your pigtails out to the sides, It’ll show your bows off better.”  
  
“This is actually really exciting,” Nico wiggled, making sure her purse and makeup pouches were closeby to be in the shot, “I’m not used to glamour shots that I didn’t take.”  
  
Maki climbed onto the bed, standing up and adjusting the focus on the DSLR they’d borrowed from Nozomi one last time as she stood over her girlfriend, “Well you better get used to it. _Everyone_ is going to be after your picture soon enough.”  
  
Nico’s grin was as wide as Maki had ever seen. Mechanically, Maki centered the frame and shot a few before really taking in the sight before her, but as her girlfriend cycled through various positions and expressions, in this lighting that accentuated just how pale her skin was, how thin her legs and how petite her hands were… she couldn’t help herself. Sentimentality quickly overpowered any professionality.  
  
Before she realized what she was saying, Maki breathed, “Wow… You’re just… I’m so lucky...”  
  
Nico’s face, in the moment that she softly replied, “Maki-chan… ,” would _definitely_ be the shot she’d recommend to Nozomi later. The one that followed where she reached up to her with such affection... the one where she whispered, “I love you so… _so_ much.” … the one where she set Tomomi-chan to the side and asked, “Kiss me?” and the one where whispered, “Please?”  
  
Those… she would keep for herself.  
  
There wouldn’t be _any_ pictures from that point on that could be shared… but there _would_ be pictures. For a moment, the camera was set aside. Her love was practically begging for affection, and Maki had plenty to give. Her fingers slid through Nico’s hair so easily, pressing kiss after kiss on her lips, cheeks and neck.  
  
As close as she was now, Maki could tell why Nico had been teasing so heavily. This inevitability was clearly on her mind. Usually, Nico would be _more_ than satisfied with being physically adored at Maki’s pace… which more often than not was flowered with a free-flowing stream of consciousness babble of flattery, adoration, and desire. Nico never called her on it, probably because she was afraid of Maki stopping, but it was clear that this always had a profound effect on her girlfriend’s mood and drive.  
  
This time however, Nico was not so passive. She didn’t just accept Maki’s affection with gasps, sighs, and shudders. _Her_ hands began to wander, an exciting reminder of their first time. _She_ unbuttoned Maki’s shirt, whispering, “My beautiful princess… _my_ Maki-chan…”  
  
Nico slid Maki’s shirt from her shoulders as Maki lifted Nico’s loaned sweater up from her hips. Tomomi-chan was gently placed up by the pillows as their scant clothing was pulled away and set aside. The DSLR was left on the side table and Nico pressed Maki’s fingers to her desperately, pleading, “In me… please…”  
  
Nico’s kisses grew hungrier as she escalated the encounter, faster, harder, and deeper than Maki expected. She was actually taken a little off guard by just how authoritative Nico’s voice was as she claimed, “Maki-chan… *HNN*... is _mine. Only_ Maki-chan… can have _this.”_ Delighted, but overwhelmed with Nico’s fervor as she turned and locked her thighs at her cheeks, the smaller woman grinding as she all but _devoured_ her. Nico, working much faster than usual, frantically drew climax after mind-shattering climax from Maki who found herself increasingly helpless as her love groaned torrid things like, “I want _all_ of you,” and, “I love how you taste...” but mostly just some of the most primal growling and muffled screaming she’d ever heard.  
  
This… this time was different. Maki tried to keep up, but was eventually overwhelmed by Nico’s voracious pace. It was all she could do to just claw at her hips and bite into her thigh as she shuddered and found herself unable to say anything that wasn’t screaming Nico’s name.  
  
It was… honestly a little scary. Being pushed to such an extreme so quickly. More than once, she almost asked for a time out, but was too curious to see how intense the roller coaster could get. Ultimately, this was Nico. Nico wouldn’t hurt her… intentionally… so giving up control to this level should be just fine. Besides… a Nico this intense was an experience unlike any other.  
  
Maki stopped trying to pleasure in return, and instead just lavished affection as best she could. Instead of trying to call out as the tide rose, she gasped into her skin the things she’d been spending her nights thinking the most, “I’m yours… As long as you’ll have me, I’m yours,” shivering as the surge receded. Less effective in returning the physical, but Nico _definitely_ took notice. Those words, paired with long and deep caresses along her back and a deep, specifically placed, penetrating kiss of her own, sparked the most intense climax from Nico yet. Strong enough that she curled inward, stopping all attention and nearly _sobbed_ into Maki’s thigh.  
  
She… loves her this much?  
  
Maki reached, fumbling for Nico’s bag. It’s contents spilled out, the first of which Maki grasped and offered to her still trembling girlfriend. It took her a moment to notice, but Maki made sure that when Nico asked, her voice small, “Are you sure?” she didn’t hesitate to reply, “Absolutely…”

  
  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

 

  
Sunday Sunday! Sunday Date Day! Sunday Date Day with Maki-chan!!  
  
It was really kind of a marvel how often that poor girl was left alone. Her parents hadn’t come home at all last night, which was both convenient and a little depressing. On the plus, that meant that they’d had enough time to get all their work done _and_ work over one another! Just the ticket for helping keep their minds on the tasks at hand.  
  
Nico may be breaking the rules a little, waiting for her sleepy girlfriend by flipping through the _many_ illicit pictures they’d taken before, during, and after trying out their new toy (which had been a _rousing_ success), but since more than three quarters of them were _hilariously_ goofy it wasn’t too big of a foul.  
  
She’d woken early, leaving her precious sleeping beauty to catch a few more winks while she made herself presentable and broke out her ‘Killin’ It Without Trying Too Hard Casual Date/Friend Outing Outfit 2.0.’ A black with white horizontal striped no-sleeve top with a plaid skirt of dark blues, black thigh-highs, ribbons with pigtails returned to their usual height, and the crescent moon necklace that Maki had picked out for her on their last trip through Harajuku entirely because the red stones reminded her of Nico’s eyes.  
  
God, she’s _so_ sweet.  
  
The pièce de résistance, and what made it categorically a Yazawa Nico-worthy outfit, was the one-size-too-large hot pink zip-up hoodie with the two stars over her heart. Deep inner pockets for that no-purse-’cuz-I-don’t-need-nothin’ look. Dark Maki-hair-red hood. Blue-beaded white pull-strings and yellow star zipper-pulls that were color matched to the wrist and waist trim’s single stripe lining. A window-shopping magical moment from the closing of the Ikebukuro train station’s branch of Sprinter. Rest in peace.  
  
Maki appeared at the top of the stairs just in time, as Nico’s scrolling was reaching into the more intense, in-the-moment shots of last night’s trial run. She locked her phone, shoved it into her pocket, zipped it up, and made sure to greet her best girl with her cheesiest grin.  
  
Oh… and she was _dazzling_ . Classy and somehow more graceful than Nico had ever seen her. A short, cream colored dress with subtle repeating floral patterns held at the waist by a handsome, thick brown belt fluttered about her legs, accentuated by an equally subtle pastel floral neckpiece. Over this, a muted salmon pink jacket with pale brown inseams, folded back at the wrist to reveal the dress’s ruffled sleeves. Pale blue stones cut into ovals and stars caught the light from the bracelets on her left wrist and a reddish brown leather bag held mostly by gold chain and accentuated with an impossibly color-matched to her dress fold finished the look.  
  
All of this paled and could easily be forgotten in the light of those bright happy eyes, widening as they met her own. Impossibly, this innocent happiness wasn’t at all at odds with the beleaguered grimace of pleasure she’d just seen the reminder of on her phone. Both were faces that Nico knew, of all the people in the world, she alone got to enjoy.  
  
That smile… was for her. Just because she was herself. Selfish, fake-it-til-you-make-it, scrawny little her. Because this wonderful, wonderful girl _loved_ her.  
  
God _damn_ ... when had she gotten so sappy?  
  
She’d allow it… ‘cause this was Sunday Sunday! Sunday Date Day! Sunday Date Day with Maki-chan!!  
  
“You look happy,” Maki commented simply, like she hadn’t just walked out of a fairy tale. She took a moment to look Nico over, appraising her outfit (even tracing her finger over the stars), and continued, “This is nice. Very you.”  
  
“Yeah it is,” Nico grinned, “Nico rocks the cute. Maki-chan is at the top of her game today too. Let’s do this. We’ve only got about an hour before the Lashinbangs start opening.”  
  
“Then let’s,” Maki agreed, walking past her with a lingering smile to slide into an equally tasteful pair of light tan kitten heels. Nico unpacked her neon pink sneakers and tried to keep her smile aimed at Maki’s own, rather than stare at those legs and see if she could spot the bruises that last night had left behind. Ah. Nylons. Of course.  
  
“We should go clothes shopping together. I like that look,” Maki commented, still unable to take her eyes off her and continuing to do all kinds of great things for her self esteem.  
  
“Two girls as cute as us? We’d get the red carpet treatment wherever we went,” Nico winked and allowed Maki to pull her to her feet, “We’ll get you that aesthetic you’ve always dreamed of. I’m sure we could find something that would work better with your coloring than this. You’re not as…”  
  
“Albino?” Maki offered.  
  
“I’m _not_ albino!” Nico pouted, “Come on. You don’t get hair this _luxuriously_ dark with _that_ package.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Maki rolled her eyes as she opened the door, “After you.”

  
  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

 

Breakfast was a pair of smoothies obtained at the station. Conversation was sparse as, between the pace required to reach their first stops on time and the surrounding crowds, neither had much to say that would have been appropriate. Most of what could have been said was conveyed by frequent eye contact and seeming permanent smiles. Both already knowing that this was a good plan, because if they were still back at the house with all the privacy that it afforded, they would have given in to the temptation _long_ ago. That thing was _fun_ .  
  
Well… at least Maki would have. Nico was a woman on a mission.  
  
“Naturally, we hit up the anime merch first,” Nico explained, “We’ll take this drag past the Milky Way Cafe, swing left before hitting Sunshine City, and that puts us in line to hit most of the resale shops. The anime stuff is the easiest to move and going this way makes the shops line up perfectly. Then we hit up the music and idol focused shops and then swing by the basement Mandarake for the fun of it more than anything. The stock doesn’t change there as often. Lots of older fandom merch.”  
  
“... and people look for this online?” Maki prompted. While the topic might not be the most interesting, Nico _did_ seem to take a lot of joy out of teaching. Any lack that may come from the content, was more than made up for by seeing her girlfriend in her element.  
  
“I could make a living off this if I had enough starter cash. Not a _great_ one, but it’s how the club has stayed alive for so long. The school doesn’t mind a club with a zero-sum budget. You wouldn’t believe how starved the western market is for this stuff. I’m gonna have to step it up though, if we’re gonna keep funding Kotori’s costumes. Expensive, but _damn_ she’s worth it,” Nico praised, “I’ve got an eye for this and I can sew, but actually making those things from scratch? Not a chance. You, Umi, and Kotori are seriously the backbone of µ's.”  
  
“So… is the idea to take this back home before we go to the museum?”  
  
“Oh yeah… eh, my place is closer. Plus, I totally want to show you off to the kids. You’re _almost_ too cute today to keep to myself.”  
  
Maki felt ridiculous, but was totally feeling her face heat up at the repeated public compliments. She gave in to the urge to look away, “You’re... laying it on kind of thick.”  
  
She felt Nico’s hand slide into her own, “I’m just being honest. Take the compliment. You might not know it, but I don’t toss those out easily.”  
  
The crowd was dispersed enough now that they had left the station that talking was easier. Nico continued to play tour guide, “There’s a few arcades I hit up here when sales have been good. They can be more of a gamble, but I’ve got most of these places pegged for claw strength. The staff all recognize me now, so I don’t get as much help as I’d like… but that’s alright.”  
  
As Sunrise Cinema was coming up on their left Nico pointed with their held hands and said, “The Adores game center there doesn’t have the _best_ machines, but they get some of the less mainstream prizes, the harder to find stuff. Especially if you head to the back. They also get a pretty good variety of the lotto boxes… but usually only like, two or three lots of the prizes. Great if you get there early, but usually I just swing in here for the weird stuff.”  
  
They passed the cinema and almost immediately after, Nico was nudging Maki toward another sign, “Round 1 over there is easily the _best_ spot on this route for crane machines. The staff is _super_ friendly, they keep the stock rotating, and its busy enough that people keep the claw strength pretty high. It’s also got a lot of the tiny plush mountain machines that I’ve gotten lucky with a few times. Usa-chi actually came from here.”  
  
“Maybe we should take a look?” Maki offered.  
  
“On the way back. The new stuff is tempting and it’s always more satisfying to _win_ your merch, but you can stretch your yen _way_ further if you can pick it up at the resale shops. If we’re gonna hit an arcade on the way back though, _this_ is the one I’d recommend… unless you’re looking for rhythm and dance games. Best to stick to Akiba for those.”  
  
Maki aimed an incredulous look Nico’s way, “You… know a lot more about this than I would have thought.”  
  
Nico hid her face behind her hand, “While you were busy taking piano lessons… _I_ studied the _blade…_ claw machine. Whatever.”  
  
“Chuuni nerd.”  
  
“You’re one to talk, Ms. Tragic Innocence. Maki-chan pronounced _expert_ wrong. Nico is sharing professional trade secrets here!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Maki placated, “Just make sure this trip isn’t _all_ business. We _are_ here to have fun.”  
  
“Treasure hunting **_is_ ** fun!” Nico insisted, “But I hear you. Oh! Over there’s Tokyu Hands. This is one of the places I took Kotori to last week! We had to make a run out to Okadaya in Shinjuku after, but this is probably the best place in Ikebukuro for sewing supplies.”  
  
“And I thought _my_ half of the date was going to be the educational one,” Maki replied, squeezing Nico’s hand.  
  
“You can count on _this_ girl _always_ exceeding expectations~”  
  


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

 

  
Slim pickin’s today, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The real prize was just how thoughtful Maki-chan’s expression was after taking in the sheer volume of merch they’d rustled through and seeing how quickly Nico assessed what had value and what didn’t. See, Nico had anticipated just rolling through and doing her thing as quickly as possible so as to not keep her girlfriend waiting.  
  
She hadn’t expected Maki to take any interest in it.  
  
Sure enough though, her lovely little nerdling didn’t just ask for details once the action got started, she asked _relevant_ questions. God, her teachers must _love_ her. Before they’d finished at each store, Maki would end up right there in the “trenches”, sorting and checking with Nico for what could be valuable with what limited intel she had time to supply. She even had a good eye for quality, which… honestly shouldn’t be a surprise.  
  
By the end, the expendable emergency funds were getting pretty thin. Since the club needed the income, she’d compensated for the lack of numerous small-profit resell items for a few of the higher ticket variety. Riskier, but she had a good feeling about this Hero Academia thing. Sadly, this meant that by the time they’d reached the idol-oriented Lashinbang, there wasn’t enough left to justify the risk on the latest wave of Mitsuki Rara bromides. She was great, but a classic gal like her only had a hardcore fanbase remaining, meaning that everyone who wanted one probably already had one.  
  
“Are you sure?” Maki asked, fidgeting with a shot of Rara turning in a sundress, “If you think we could turn it around… I could spot the club?”  
  
And there it was. Nico had been waiting for this.  
  
“Oh no you don’t,” Nico chided, “This club is _not_ going to mooch off of you. We’ve got plenty, assuming that what we’ve got flips easily enough. It’s a safe gamble, but I’m still not cool with you putting even _more_ of yourself into this.”  
  
“It’s not a problem, really,” Maki offered, but no.  
  
“I might take you up on that someday, but not over something as petty as this,” Nico refused, plucking the picture from Maki’s hand, returning it to the stand, and re-lifting their bags, “If you want to spread that around, you should treat your significant other to a good time~”  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maki answered breezily, lifting her bags as she got in character, “If I had time for something like that, they’d have to be the one treating… and they’d need to really step it up to impress a girl like me. ”  
  
“Oh hoh~ So Maki-chan’s an expensive date?”  
  
“If dinner is at any place that has less than three stars, then this is _one_ star you’ll never see again~”  
  
Nico giggled, “Uh oh~ Maki-chan’s going to be so lonely!”  
  
She flipped her hair and looked at her askance, “That’s my secret, Nico-chan. I’m _always_ alone.”  
  
“Pfft. Please,” Nico teased as they left the store, “You’re hella clingy.”  
  
“Maybe I would be,” Maki returned, her voice dropping, “If I could just find someone who _understands…_ ”  
  
“Oh my god, that sounds so lame when you say it out loud!” Nico laughed.  
  
“You’re the one that wrote it,” Maki shrugged, “Also, this ‘lonely heart’ act doesn’t really pair well with ‘impossibly high standards’, you know?”  
  
“It’s a work in progress, baby~” Nico grinned, twirling one of her bags full of miniature plush.  
  
“ _You’re_ a work in progress,” Maki shot back, seizing the opportunity.  
  
Amping her own character, Nico replied, “It’s not Nico’s fault that when you’re _this_ perfect you keep raising the standard! Nico’s life is so hard! Nico just wants to make people smile, but Nico’s Nico-Nico power keeps making people fall in love! What’s poor Nico to doooo~?”  
  
Maki hid her face, too late to obscure the smile, turning away and groaning, “Uuuugh. Too much. Too much.”  
  
“Eeeeeh!? Don’t tell Nico Nico that Maki-chan’s fallen for Nico’s charm too!?”  
  
“How can you even _do_ that with a straight face?” Maki whined, clearly blinded before the power of such idol power.  
  
“Nico~~” Nico cooed, hands at her cheeks and playing up the blush, “Straight face? It’s all smiles when Nico’s around!! Nico Nico Niiii~”  
  
Maki snorted, “Oh my god… So, does super idol Nico Nii want to hit up the arcade before dropping this stuff off?”  
  
Nico eased up as she replied, “Mm… this went pretty quick, so we’d have the time. You feelin’ hungry at all?”  
  
“I could eat.”  
  
“Cool,” Nico nodded, “Let’s go back through the station. I’ve spent about as much on this kind of thing as I’m willing to for now and not all of us can handle your crazy fluid-based diet. Nico needs _carbs._ ”  
  
“If you’re sure…” Maki trailed off.  
  
“Or… Maki-chan could be honest about wanting to play crane games with her Nico~” Nico chanced, suddenly catching on to how many times it’d been brought up.  
  
“Just a little?”  
  
_God_ she was cute...

  
  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

 

Maki had to hand it to her, Nico found a _really_ good spot for lunch. The Sakura Cafe, embedded in one of the two buildings that made up the Sakura Hotel, had a broad menu of international offerings that was surprisingly authentic. Having opted for a fairly significant seafood pasta dish and the cafe’s signature latte, Maki spent most of the meal listening to Nico. The food was too good to _not_ keep eating.  
  
“I actually found out about this place a _long_ time ago. Papa would hit up the pachinko place just down the way and we’d come here after. It’s gotten _way_ better since then.”  
  
“Mm MMm?” Maki asked, eloquently conveying her interest in the rare tidbit of Nico’s Father trivia.  
  
Nico tore off another piece of her sandwich which was far too comedically oversized for her to actually bite into, “Yup. He gave my my start in arcades. His luck was _terrible_ , like… _so_ bad. I learned pretty quick that games of skill are _always_ better than chance.”  
  
“It sounds like he was a lot of fun,” Maki offered, treading carefully.  
  
“He was _hilarious_ . Like, he’d get so overdramatic when he’d lose. It was almost as fun when he lost as when he won,” Nico pantomimed excitedly before popping the piece in her mouth, chewing with a smile.  
  
“Between him and your mother, I can see how you’re so animated.”  
  
Nico winked, swallowed, and replied, “All the world’s a stage an’ all that. Man, he would have _loved_ you. He’d pick on you for _days_ , but I think he’d be pretty happy with… you know… this.”  
  
It felt so good to hear that Maki didn’t even think to complain as Nico stole yet another sip from her latte.  
  
“It’s nice to bring someone else here. It’s like, the cheapest place to get food this good that I know of. International stuff anyway. I used to be out this way at least once a month. Arcades and shops aside, there’s a host club about two blocks from here. Valkyrie. Loads of stupidly well dressed pretty boys there. Boy band aesthetic. I’d come out here and rag on ‘em and _totally_ spoil their game.”  
  
Maki was busy chewing, so a raised eyebrow had to suffice.  
  
“There’s this one guy, Shu. He’s like… 23 now but he looks like he could be your age. Blond, skinny, big pouty lips, and like… one of the most easy to rile up goof balls I’ve ever seen. I could get him stomping in minutes. I think it’s part of his character, but I’ve been messin’ with him for years,” Nico explained, tearing off another piece, “He’s nice, but the whole host club thing kinda skeeves me out a bit, you know?”  
  
Maki swallowed and ventured, “Have you ever been?”  
  
“Pfft, hell no. That crap’s _expensive_ … plus adult only. Not because of anything lewd, just… they’re after ladies with money. Women with incomes looking to drink their loneliness away. Kinda sad,” Nico waved off and popped her bite in.  
  
“You’ve lived a pretty full life so far,” Maki commented, continuing to be impressed by the range of Nico’s knowledge.  
  
“Eh, you just think that ‘cause you don’t know about any of this. Nico’s just gettin’ to the good stuff now. I bet you’ll spend plenty of time impressing me on your half of the trip,” Nico said, seeming as if she were trying to reassure Maki over some kind of insecurity.  
  
Sweet, but misguided. Maki returned Nico’s earlier statement before taking another bite, “Take the compliment. You might not know it, but I don’t toss those out easily.”  
  
Nico grinned, “That’s fair.”

 

**\--------  --------**

 

There were plenty of people milling around at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Not overly crowded, but it _was_ a Sunday. It was an easy trip to Ueno, just a few stops away on the Yamanote line and rather than backtrack to Aki, they just rented a locker at the station for the day’s earlier bounty.  
  
Nico’s patient “let’s see how this goes” expression got a lot more promising after spotting the life sized blue whale model to the building’s left, leading to a giggled, “Maki-chan… did you bring me to a _kid’s_ museum!?”  
  
“You… _do_ know that _all_ museums are supposed to be educational, right?” Maki chided, nudging her date with her hip, “Learning is fun. People wouldn’t come otherwise.”  
  
“Yeah yeah,” Nico sighed as they approached the ticket line, “Still, I’m not sure why you’re so hype over _minerals_ .”  
  
“This is the Tunashiro Wada collection. It’s on loan to this museum for this month only. There’s a few other collections that are accompanying, but the Tunashiro display is the main attraction. It’s actually a fairly big deal.”  
  
“How come?” Nico asked, seeming genuinely confused as Maki paid for admission.  
  
“It’s the largest collection of domestic minerals on the planet. The best preserved as well,” Maki advised, feeling absurdly proud for something as simple as regurgitating her father’s words from a few years ago, “It’s impressive, but I honestly think the smaller collections will be more to your tastes.”  
  
“I kind of feel underdressed,” Nico admitted sticking close to avoid being separated, “I really don’t usually go to places like this.”  
  
“You look fine,” Maki assured, but taking the opportunity to take hold of her hand, “... and if it makes you feel any better, look up.”  
  
They were just coming into the courtyard opening, giving a glimpse of what was available. Up on the third floor, and naturally the most occupied, peeked the tail of an enormous plesiosaur skeleton. Nico’s hand tightened immediately and her voice perked, “Dinosaurs!? You really _did_ bring me to a kid’s museum!”  
  
Maki laughed, “Would you have preferred that?”  
  
“Do I _look_ like a… ,” Nico started, “Don’t answer that. We _are_ going up there though, right?”  
  
“It’d be a shame not to, given how excited you are.”  
  
“I… okay,” Nico stalled out, looking embarrassed, but happy enough to not care.  
  
It was a good look for her.  
  
A quick check led them away from the permanently established exhibits and to the side structure. It only took Nico a second to go from looking like she wanted to go back to the fossils to a hard-grip, bouncing in place, diamonds in eyes excitement.  
  
“Maki-chan! Why didn’t you _tell_ me this was a crystal exhibit!!”  
  
“I… did?” Maki replied, confused but encouraged by this turn around, “Crystals are minerals.”  
  
“Yeah, but prettier!” Nico insisted, now being the one pulling Maki forward, “Look at the _size_ of that blue thing!”  
  
“That’s an aquamarine…”

 

**\--------  --------**

 

Three hours, four floors, seven presentations, and nearly a hundred pictures and selfies later, the two had retired to the low wall outside by the bicycle parking. Maki’s shoe choice had finally caught up to her and the backs of her feet were starting to feel a little raw. The spot they’d chosen to sit was fairly picturesque, directly under a cherry tree that still had a few splashes of red where the birds hadn’t yet picked it clean.  
  
Obviously, and in no way embarrassing, Maki’s favorite part of the view was currently admitting, “Alright, you win. That was fun. Once again, Maki-chan continues to prove that I have _excellent_ taste.”  
  
Maki gave a sardonic snort, “Way to turn that back around into making _you_ look good.”  
  
“Naturally,” Nico grinned, “Is there anywhere else you want to hit up?”  
  
“Actually, stopping at your place sounds kind of nice. I could use some coffee and to get out of these shoes for a while.”  
  
“If I didn’t have an image to upkeep, I’d give ‘em a rub when we got back. I do that for Mom sometimes. She says I’m pretty good,” Nico suggested, “Maybe when we get back to your place. We’re still goin’ there, right?”  
  
“Our uniforms are there,” Maki reminded, “... and you _really_ don’t need to do that.”  
  
“Oh? You’d rather I rubbed something else?”  
  
Maki snorted again, “Really? We just looked at a bug collection and you’re switching to flirting already?”  
  
“You don’t like it?” Nico asked, unconcerned as she shrugged off her hoodie.  
  
Maki sighed in embarrassed defeat as she realized she was staring at the girl’s pale shoulders, “I don’t hate it.”  
  
“Really though. This was fun,” Nico doubled back, crossing her legs and leaning back on her palms, “Way more than I thought.”  
  
Maki’s finger was in her hair as she replied, “Is it that much of a surprise?”  
  
“Kind of,” Nico casually admitted, “I realized about half way through the place that… there’s a lot of things I just don’t think about. A lot that I take for granted, and… a lot that, if I just did my own thing, I’d just never do. Never know.”  
  
“How old are you, again?” Maki asked, knowing the answer but making a point.  
  
“I know… but… I guess what I’m getting at is…” Nico delayed, staring at her sneakers as she waved them back and forth, “You make my world bigger. You’re not just making my dreams a lot more possible, you’re making me think about _new_ things.”  
  
“Old things too,” she continued, smiling inward at something Maki couldn’t see, “I haven’t talked about Papa in years without it being a sad thing. Earlier? I didn’t get sad at all. I just… remembered how happy I was in that memory. Happy I could share it. Just… happy.”  
  
Maki was content to just respect the sentiment in silence… besides, she didn’t know really how to respond aside of a meagre ‘me too,’ which… felt weak in comparison.  
  
“I’m a little worried, Maki-chan,” Nico continued, “I get how you feel… about me. I accept it. I just worry that things aren’t equal between us. Like… I get all of this world expanding, wish granting, dream realizing that comes with you, and… you get me. I’m great an’ all… but… you are _so_ much.”  
  
Nico finally looked her way, her expression far too flippantly casual for such heavy words, “I just don’t want you feeling like you’re not getting as much in return.”  
  
“I…” Maki began before really thinking of her reply, but rolling with her first feelings, “I don’t think of it like that at all. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been… by a lot. There’s something about being with you that’s so comfortable that… it’s almost a nostalgic feeling.”  
  
That seemed to confuse Nico, so Maki continued, “I don’t really get it either… but I like it. It’s almost like deja vu sometimes. Alchemy, destiny, whatever. When I feel that… I just _know_ I’m doing the right thing. That I’m on the right track. That it doesn’t matter that I’m not studying as hard as I should or being careful enough to avoid scandal.”  
  
“Being with you? Like this. With your family. At home, alone? All of it. It… quiets a need and wakes others.”  
  
“That’s… kinda poetic, pretty girl.”  
  
“ _You’re_ kind of poetic,” Maki replied gently, paying little mind to how well or poorly the comeback worked.  
  
Nico shook her head, rolling her eyes, “Right. Just... don’t let me take too much, alright?”  
  
“That’s just it, Nico-chan,” Maki replied, having to look away, “I _want_ you to use me up. To the last drop.”  
  
After a moment of silence, only the sound of a bus pulling away from the entrance filling the space, Nico slid from her seat and pulled Maki to her feet, “Well, I’d better ration you out then. Because I want you around for a long time, understand?”  
  
Maki finally met her eyes. They were serious… and she felt so _wanted_ . Maki nodded to acknowledge the sentiment… following a confession she hadn’t meant to share.  
  
“Let’s go home,” Nico added softly, “The kids are really excited to see you. I’ve been feeding Cocoro pictures all day.”  
  
“Yeah, she’s been texting me too. You knew we talked, right?”  
  
“I do,” Nico confirmed and squeezed her hand again, “It’s one of the things I love about you.”

  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

 

Since it was getting later in the afternoon, the trains were getting fairly empty. Speaking as if it had been an incredibly selfish request, Maki spotted the fare so they could take the long way around the Yamanote’s circular path, turning a twenty minute ride into one lasting over an hour.  
  
The other occupants of the car came and went, but they remained seated, side by side, hand in hand. A text from Maki had asked for permission to just lean against her and pretend she was asleep as the Tokyo scenery passed them by, and Nico had obviously granted it.  
  
So, here she was, enjoying the feel of Maki’s soft warm palm in her’s, her weight on her shoulder, and enjoying the lingering scent of cinnamon and something earthy tangled with her girlfriend’s musk. They had claimed a corner spot, right next to the doors, so that meant that Nico was “pinned” between Maki and the support bar rail. Convenient, as it gave her something to lean on as well when the momentum pushed Maki into her harder than expected.  
  
After a stop or two, Maki’s eyes had closed and Nico wasn’t sure if the girl had really drifted off to sleep or not. Given her track record, probably not… but Nico took it as an opportunity to catch up on some messages that had popped up.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** Cotaro is super excited about the fossil pictures. We’ll have to take him there sometime.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** We’re on our way. Gonna stop for an hour or two to hang out.  
  
Almost immediately, Cocoro replied.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** Really!? That’s great! Did you have a good time? I hope you didn’t get swarmed too badly.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و Nothing your big sister can’t handle! I think poor Maki-chan’s worn out though.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** I’m really glad you two are spending so much time together.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** I really like her.  
  
**OGNicoNico2:** I do too.  
  
Nico hit send and swapped over to Nozomi’s earlier question of…  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Wow. Lots of pictures today. Are you two on a _date!?_ _  
_ _  
_ **OGNicoNico2:** (*^▽^*)θ～♪  Don’t be ridiculous. We’re just two good friends enjoying our Sunday!  
  
… and so began the juggling act.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** Should I get anything ready?  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Friends outing huh? Did I miss Nicocchi’s invite?  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to →Inthe.Cocoro:** Nope! We’re just stopping in actually. Can’t stay long.  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Let me check my mail.  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to Spiritual.Healing7:** Keep looking. Maybe you’ll find Eli’s invite to go out for parfaits. She was blowing my phone up earlier over you snubbing her mail.  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** Oh? What’s going on?  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to Spiritual.Healing7:** Honestly, I’m surprised you would do something like that. So cold!  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to →Inthe.Cocoro:** Don’t tell the others, but your big sister _may_ have left her homework until the last minute. You know how crazy it gets there and I need the time to catch up.  
  
**Haha.Harasho..3:** Why are you picking on Nozomi? “/  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** Maki-chan helps you with your homework too!?  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to Spiritual.Healing7:** You _told_ on me!?  
  
**Haha.Harasho..3:** Nice pictures by the way. It’s good to see that Maki may be having a good influence on you. The museum? I never expected to see you _there._  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to →Inthe.Cocoro:** She helps keep me on track. She hides my phone.  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to Haha.Harasho..3:** Hey! What do you mean by that!?  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** There’s nothing in my mail. :P  
  
**Haha.Harasho..3:** Don’t let Nozomi fool you. I’m at her place right now. You both looked like you were having a lot of fun. We should all do something together sometime. “)  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** She did the same thing to me!  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to Spiritual.Healing7:** The jig is up. The Russian Dynamo has betrayed you!  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to →Inthe.Cocoro:** Homework is just so boring!  
  
**OGNicoNico2 to →Inthe.Cocoro:** Opps! Don’t listen to me! I can’t be a bad influence compared to _Maki-chan! I’m_ the big sister!!  
  
**Haha.Harasho..3:** Russian Dynamo!?  
  
**→Inthe.Cocoro:** The _best_ big sister  <3  
  
**Cup.Nyamen:** Boooooored. What’s up?  
  
… Maybe she should have left her phone in her bag.

  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

 

  
The ride to Nico’s was bliss. Silent, comfortable, peaceful bliss. It was selfish, but everything that Maki wanted in that moment. For that hour and twenty minutes, the rest of the world didn’t matter. There was just her and Nico. No need for words. No need for activities. No… needs. Just the rumble of the train, the familiar announcements of the stations, the scent of strawberries, the feel of Nico’s hoodie on her cheek and their hands clasped. Entirely mundane, but a perfect kind of domestic bliss.  
  
The hand-holding walk to Nico’s apartment, made in comfortable silence as the sunlight turned orange felt deeply romantic, despite their other hands being laden with fandom merchandise. Inwardly, Maki imagined a parallel of the scene overlayed where those bags were groceries. They were older. Nico still insisted on cheap eggs despite both of them being incredibly successful in their fields. She still loved overloading their meals with bean sprouts and had to wearily remind Maki that it took more than fruit and vegetables to make a meal.  
  
Surely, a ridiculous thing to fantasize about, given that she was a first year in high school, but the scene was so clear. Something about the orange of the sky, Nico’s contented silent smile, the weight in her hands, and the the waft of strawberry in the wind that just felt so… _nostalgic._  
  
How could your dreams for the future being formed feel nostalgic?  
  
When they arrived, the whirlwind of Cocoa and Cotaro trying to catch Maki up on everything she’d missed while she was too concussed to visit was as fun as ever, and had the side benefit of giving Nico time to catch up with Cocoro and her mother. Cocoa had discovered a new shonen series that she remembered seeing merchandise of earlier, so what was originally intended to be a brief stop turned into a stay-for-dinner visit.  
  
They left shortly after, which wasn’t overly easy given that she’d been away from the kids for so long, but Nico wanted to get to Maki’s before it got too late. The other Yazawas understood, one more than others.  
  
The sun had set, but the moon was nearly full. Even the dimly lit side streets were clear this evening, giving Maki the urge to take a different path home. One more scenic. One where this curious, nostalgic sensation could continue.  
  
Nico only offered a surprised expression as Maki lightly pulled her toward the detour, and acquiesced when the only explanation given was a smile. Curfew was quickly approaching and this was Maki’s favored path for late night wandering. Rarely patrolled. Deeply domestic. Mostly occupied by the elderly who would have turned in hours ago.  
  
Once it was clear that they wouldn’t be encountering anyone else, Nico’s hand-hold shifted. She came closer, hugging Maki’s arm with her right and laying her palm along her bicep with her left. Cheek on shoulder. Contented sigh.  
  
“You know… ,” she murmured softly, speaking for the first time since they bid her family goodnight, “You are _impressively_ romantic for such a hornball.”  
  
Maki rolled her eyes, “Again, just following your example. Golden standard that it is.”  
  
Nico nuzzled in. Her fingers tracing lazy circles over her bicep as the walked in silence. The near complete lack of clouds created an astounding view. Despite being as far from the main bustle of Aki that they were, the light pollution still only allowed the boldest stars to shine… but shine they did.  
  
“None of this is what I expected,” Nico continued as they followed an L turn in the road.  
  
“The view or the date?” Maki prompted when it seemed like Nico would have been content to let the statement stand as-is.  
  
“Falling in love,” Nico answered softly, “Finding a group of friends. Having your dreams in reach.”  
  
She raised Maki’s hand and pressed a kiss onto its back, “Having one person so… thoroughly tied into everything you do or think about.”  
  
“It’s overwhelming,” Maki agreed, matching Nico’s tone.  
  
“It’s… amazing. Almost too good to be real,” Nico continued, her voice so mature yet her stature somehow smaller than usual, “Everything is so much more intense and natural at the same time…”  
  
“I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Maki added, sliding her now freed arm under Nico’s hoodie to pull her closer and shivering as the act was reciprocated.  
  
“Yeah… same. Except… I don’t think it’s going to,” Nico admitted, squeezing tighter and continuing in that same soft voice, “Maki-chan wouldn’t hurt me. I’d stab someone before I’d let them hurt you. It turns out I like you as a person even more than I like you as a trophy girlfriend.”  
  
“... Don’t you usually brag about those?” Maki laughed.  
  
“I’m going to,” Nico replied simply, “I’m going to brag about how much I love you and how amazing you are _every_ day. Sure, it’ll be with the Nico Nii flair, but… you’ll know what’s up.”  
  
“That’s hardly fair.”  
  
Nico shrugged and pulled Maki to the side of the street where a small playground was set. Just a couple jungle gyms and a few swings, “You can get back at me by playing the disgusted elite that’ll eventually get worn down, falling for your senpai’s adorable charms.”  
  
“That’s a story that might be too unbelievable for the fans,” Maki teased, allowing herself to be led and seated into a swing.  
  
“Stories are dreams… and Maki-chan makes those come true,” Nico whispered into her hair, “Maki-chan is powerful enough to turn Nico back into a first-year sap monster.”  
  
Maki leaned back into Nico. The two remained in silence, rocking to the sway of the swing. This moment, this snapshot in time, Maki was certain she’d cherish for as long as she lived. As long as her mind was capable of replaying these minutes. The silence of the moment faded as a calm, beautiful melody came to mind. The image of snow falling, lights catching the windows of the buildings surrounding a grand stage. Warmth and love, dedication and trust. A flash of a smile from Kotori on her right. A wink of encouragement from Rin in front of her. Another surge of nostalgia where there should have been the burst of inspiration.  
  
“I think I just thought of a song,” Maki whispered, her cheek resting in the crook of Nico’s arm.  
  
“We should get back so you can write it down,” Nico advised, sliding her hands up slowly to her cheeks and tilting her head back to kiss her forehead, “A song that came to Maki-chan in a moment like this must be special.”  
  
“I keep a notebook in my bag,” Maki smiled back, “I’ll write it as we walk back. It’s not much, but… I think you’re right. This will be a good one.”  
  
“Good… because when we get home, I want you all to myself,” Nico grinned, giving Maki a nudge to get up.  
  
“Spoiled brat,” Maki winked as she rose, “I’ll see what I can do.”  
  
“Me, Maki-chan. You’re going to do me.”  
  
Maki rolled her eyes and smiled, reaching for her bag but was stopped by Nico’s sudden firm grip.  
  
“I mean it. When we get home… I want Maki-chan. All of her… and I want her to have all of me,” Nico insisted, her gaze not shying away in the slightest, “The future is exciting. The past is… what it is. Right now? Right now, this moment is the greatest. This moment with Nico and her Maki. Maki with her Nico. Right now is the most important moment.”  
  
“Right now is every current moment we’re together then?”  
  
“Every one…”  
  
“Then we shouldn’t waste them…” Maki smiled, letting go of her bag and pressing her back toward the bars of the swingset.  
  
“No moment with Maki-chan is wasted,” Nico breathed, giving ground until her back was pressed to bar, and then leaning back as Maki leaned in, taking and giving slow, soft kisses as Maki pulled down her hoodie’s zipper. Shivering a tender, “Every second is ours,” as Maki slid both it and the shirt under from her shoulders, replacing cloth with lips and gentle touches. “... and all of me is yours,” Nico whispered as she guided Maki’s hand to her leg, gliding it higher as she rested her ankle to Maki’s hip.  
  
The world fell away and the only sound was shivered whispers, shuddering sighs, and the slick sound that proved the depths of Nico’s arousal. The only sight were crimson eyes full of need, too pale skin that begged to be touched, and more of it continuing to be exposed until all that protected her was either below the ankles or Maki herself.  
  
“Just a little,” Nico shuddered _hard_ , “This is our first real date… I want to be in your bed… and I don’t want you to let me sleep until I _beg_ you to…”  
  
Affection and arousal lashed throughout Maki. She groaned at the thought and redoubled her efforts, earning high pitched whimpers from her partner, “I hope you don’t regret that in the morning…”  
  
Nico’s hands were claws against her jacket, scraping helplessly as the girl struggled to keep her voice down, “Never… _never…_ ”  
  
Nico tensed, shivered, and then grasped at her shoulders as a high-pitched whine threatened to become a full-out scream, pulling her as tightly as possible as she locked her legs around Maki’s waist, forcing Maki to rely on the bar behind Nico to provide support as she continued to help her partner ride out what must have been an _incredible_ climax.  
  
With dazed eyes, Nico whispered, “We… should do this again soon…”  
  
Maki smirked, feeling _beyond_ proud, “Just wait till I get you home… but… you should probably get dressed again first.”  
  
Still apparently swimming in post-climactic bliss, Nico looked down and grinned, “Oh yeah… heh heh… let’s do that. Go home… do _me_ …”  
  
“Okay,” Maki giggled, kneeling to hold Nico’s skirt open for her to step into, “The sooner you get into these, the sooner I can get you home and back out of them.”  
  
“Maki-chan has the prettiest ‘oh’ face,” Nico commented, daintily stepping into the skirt and letting Maki pull it up and stuffing the undergarments into her purse, “You’re going to use it right? On me?”  
  
“Among other things,” Maki confirmed, sliding Nico’s shirt over her head, “I think I prefer using mouth and hands, but I really like the view when I have it on.”  
  
“‘Cause you think I’m pretty~” Nico giggled, sliding on her hoodie.  
  
“I think you’re beautiful,” Maki confirmed, “... and I’ve never seen you move the way you do when… when it’s…”  
  
“When it’s _in_ me, Maki. You can say it,” Nico laughed, her voice coming back into focus. Finally fully dressed again, Nico walked around to her other side so as to hold the hand that seconds ago had been… occupied, bringing it up to her lips and gently licking them.  
  
“Uhhhh…” Maki began, boggling and taken out of the moment by the sight.  
  
Undeterred, Nico became _diligent_ in her cleaning, practically fellating each finger and continuing, “When you let me… Mm… When you were on your back? Looking up at me with those desperate eyes? … That was seriously one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen… and I’ve got an internet history _full_ of naked beautiful people.”  
  
Maki tried not to laugh too hard at the admission, which wasn’t hard because the sight of Nico’s attentions as they walked was… very distracting. Instead, she listened as Nico continued, “It made me jealous of guys because I couldn’t feel _myself_ being in you while you were gasping so prettily, but like… at the same time not because if I _was_ a guy… then I couldn’t have this… have you.”  
  
Maki gulped, uncertain how to respond to that _or_ the now finished cleanup. It felt good… both things… but now _she_ was so turned on that thinking straight was difficult.  
  
“Let’s go home…”  
  
“Yeah.”

  


**\--------  --------**

 

 **Author’s Notes:**  
  
What year is it!?!  
  
It feels like I’ve been working on this chapter for _ages_ . Sure, it took a month, but I hope it was worth the wait. I think I dropped two Berserker chapters between this and the last one… so I guess that’s not all that bad.  
  
This actually ended up being _way_ shorter than originally intended, but given that it’s already nearly 20k words and it’s not like you all want _every_ detail of their date I thought it was alright to cap it here. A lot of pieces of their date actually come from time we spent in Tokyo. The Milky Way cafe has some _incredibly_ decadent milkshakes and we had crazy amounts of luck at Round One.  
  
µ's is really going to start picking up come the next chapter, and we’re going to start seeing _a lot_ more of the other girls, particularly the second years and Eli who, up until now, have barely seen any ‘screentime.’ Ultimately, this is Maki’s story. Nico plays an enormous role in it, but… the others are obviously incredibly important as well.  
  
This fic is definitely earning it’s “slow build” tag. Would this warrant an ‘explicit sexual content’ tag? I feel like I’m pretty much saying everything at this point without describing the parts. I might be over paranoid with the tagging system, but I don’t want anyone jumping into content they won’t like.  
  
Ramble ramble. I need more time in the day! As always, thank you _so_ much for reading, and thank you _so_ much for the incredibly kind comments you’ve been leaving. The past couple of months have been… difficult, so they’re very appreciated.  
  
**< 3**


	15. One Good Turn...

**AN** \- Immediately picking up from the last chapter. I know. It surprised me too. Sorry for the wait!  <3   
  


 

* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
The two power-walked hand-in-hand, Maki’s head swimming with the out-of-control impossibility of what just happened. The dizzying power of so much brazen affection and utter disregard for propriety in public coming from _her_ for a change really gave her a feel for why Nico had been so semi-publically forward recently.   
  
The girl at her side seemed to be just as buzzed, only she had the benefit of a recent, fairly intense, release. Where Maki felt herself to be a superheated coil of tension... Nico, her face shining in the light of her phone, looked like she was gleefully skipping on stardust, making her heart throb for the girl all the more. Not for the first time, Maki had to struggle to keep those feelings from overwhelming her completely. Instead, just focusing on the pace, the light humming of her partner, and the feel of Nico’s hand hot in her own.   
  
“Looks like TruVestment is getting ready to release a new album. Did you know that?” she asked, not looking away from the phone.   
  
“I… haven’t heard anything from them in a couple years. I figured they broke up or something,” Maki replied simply, surprised by the sudden turn.   
  
“I looked into them more after hearing their songs on your list. They’ve got a good dramatic sound. I’ll be checking this new drop out. Oh! Hana-banana’s got some tickets for an A-RISE show this Wednesday. Any chance you could make it?”   
  
After a beat, Maki swallowed and shifted mental tracks to commit to the conversation, “I have to get caught up on classwork at some point... Do they have anything new at this one I should be assessing?”   
  
“Pfft. Nothing like that, except maybe checkin’ out the competition’s performance. Video is one thing, Lives are a completely different animal that we’re gonna need to get riding soon,” Nico said, swapping to another media app to scroll through.   
  
“Phrasing,” Maki breathed, squeezing at her girlfriend’s hand and swallowing down vague annoyance at Nico’s ability to multitask her usual social media platforms while still clearly riding the high their date had reached.   
  
“Eeeeyyy~” Nico freely fired back, swiping a few more times and putting the phone back in her extremely deep pockets much to Maki’s relief, “You’ve set a pretty high bar with today.”   
  
“You had some _excellent_ company,” Maki preened with a smirk before dropping, “Any date is better with a visit to your place.”   
  
“Nico’s family is the best,” she proclaimed, thumping her chest proudly and squeezing in return, “You were alright, too.”   
  
“Just alright?” Maki asked without asking, reshouldering her bag and continuing, “You know… when I woke up after that first night at your place, I thought about them a lot.”   
  
“Yeah?” Nico prompted, slowing their pace so she could hug Maki’s arm closer like they’d done at the start of the detour. The feeling of the smaller girl’s head leaning on her shoulder was so comforting that it took Maki a moment to realize she should probably continue.   
  
“The living room was so quiet before everyone else was up. The kids’ stuff was everywhere. Just… the whole of the night before was really settling in. I actually thought about just… living there. Being a part of that.”   
  
“You _are_ a part of it,” Nico affirmed, “Heck, you’re part of my excuse for being able to go home more often.”   
  
“... I wish _I_ could come over more often,” Maki sighed, leaning into Nico further.   
  
“You’re welcome as often as you want,” Nico assured, “I don’t know what you’re slippin’ Cotaro, but that boy is just glued to you the whole time.”   
  
Maki shrugged, “I don’t really get it either. It’s cute, though.”   
  
“Cocoro’s the one who talks about you the most though. Sometimes I wonder if she knows what’s up.”   
  
“She definitely didn’t find out from me,” Maki breathed, “She usually spends the whole time I’m there with you.”   
  
“Aww, is Maki-chan jealous~?” Nico teased.   
  
“No,” Maki replied bluntly, following up with a matter-of-fact finger twirl, “I’ve got you. Wrapped around my little finger.”   
  
“More than one,” Nico grinned, waggling her eyebrows cheesily.   
  
“Crude,” Maki sighed.   
  
“Yup~ and you deserve _all_ of this,” Nico crooned, nuzzling closer… but abruptly pulled away to a simple hand-hold as they rounded the corner leading to Maki’s home. Disappointing, but sort of expected. Still, Nico’s grip had gotten strangely firm.   
  
As they approached Maki cut into the sudden and building tension with, “Are you alright?”   
  
“Magical girl intuition, Maki-chan. Feels like our evening plans might not be happening.”   
  
Maki pouted, feeling the urge to protest getting worked up over something like _intuition_ … but caught enough apprehension from Nico’s expression to go there. Instead, she just swallowed down the disappointment of having not kissed her more while she had the chance.   
  
“You’re still spending the night though… right?”   
  
“If I can,” Nico confirmed with another hand-squeeze. No jab at the neediness of the statement, which was both a relief and a telling confirmation that she wanted the same.   
  
Maki let go of Nico’s hand to pull out her gate pass. There was light in the windows. She was fairly certain that Waki wouldn’t be around this late, meaning that her parent’s schedule must have had an unexpected shift. Score one for intuition, strike out for wild end-of-date encounters. Still… it was hard to be upset given how her parents deserved every moment’s reprieve the could get.   
  
Nico clearly noticed the windows as well, commenting, “You sure it’s alright for me to come in? I’m guessing you didn’t clear a sleepover in advance.”   
  
Grateful that she’d had time for her rampaging desires to quiet a little, Maki made the only responsible call she could. She took Nico by the hand again and said, “They probably think I’m already upstairs in bed. If I show up alone, they’ll be worried. If you’re with me, then I had a responsible escort.”   
  
Nico snorted, “Phrasing.”   
  
“Huh? I don’t… oh,” Maki blinked, then sighed, “Right. You know what I meant!”   
  
“Good. I didn’t want to leave anyway,” Nico shrugged.   
  
The two walked to the door and Nico pulled it open. Maki walked in to see her father shrugging off a suit jacket, suggesting they’d just gotten home. A glance said it all. Loosened tie, mostly untucked shirt, bleary eyes, flushed cheeks, Mama walking from the kitchen with two bloody marys. They had a night with the Board, had been dragged out for drinking afterwards, and they were wiped.   
  
“Maki?” her mother said in surprise, handing off one of the drinks, “You’re just getting in?”   
  
“Buh?” her father added rubbing his eye as he steadied his drink, “Oh, hey there. Good work today.”   
  
“Welcome home,” Maki replied on reflex, earning a snort from both Nico and her Father. The latter because it was rare that they were home before her, so the greeting made sense, “Rough night?”   
  
“Nakamura was being a total ass, but… not too terrible,” her father, yawned, stirring his drink with the celery stick.”   
  
“Your _father_ is being _nice_ ,” her mother groaned, taking a swig before continuing, “Oichi-san was on one of his ‘God’s Gift to Comedy’ nights and… oh, good evening Nico!”   
  
“Good evening,” Nico laughed in reply, shucking her shoes at the entrance, “I hope I look as good as you two after a rough night when I’m adulting.”   
  
The older woman giggled and slapped her husband’s shoulder, “See, didn’t I tell you she was sweet? I like her. Honey, you’ve got to talk to Ikuko about us adopting this one.”   
  
“I believed you!” He protested.   
  
Her mother beamed at the two, leaning heavily enough on her beleaguered husband’s back that he had to support himself with a hand on the wall. She replied, “You two look so _cute_ . Would either of you like something to drink? We both need a pick-me-up and would _love_ to hear about your day.”   
  
“You do look very nice,” the tilted man agreed, raising his glass, “Why don’t you go on in with them, sweetheart. I’ll fix up something.”   
  
“You don’t have to!” Nico and Maki both protested, but was waved off by the man’s rumbling laughter as he slowly but steadily made his way back to the kitchen after handing his drink back to his wife.   
  
“Oh,” Mama Nishikino considered aloud, “It’s getting kind of late… were you planning on going home tonight, Nico dear?”   
  
“No ma’am,” Nico confirmed, continuing to impress Maki with how quickly she adapted to crazy social situations. The smaller girl elbowed her playfully and joked, “Unlike this lug, I need to sleep once in a while. It’s already pretty late, so if it’s not a problem with you I thought I’d crash here.”   
  
“Good answer. Maybe you can help our girl get on a better sleep schedule,” the woman winked, only exacerbating the building embarrassment.   
  
Then Nico bumped it impossibly higher with an honest, “I do my best to get her in bed as early as possible. She’s usually pretty good about following directions, so she usually doesn’t put up much of a fight.”   
  
Before she could stop herself, Maki was hip-checking the girl, covering her eyes and groaning a warning, “Nico-chan…”   
  
Fortunately, because there’s no way her Mama would suspect the gay allusion, the woman only laughed and replied, “You’ve made some good friends. Have you met Hanayo?”   
  
“Next to Maki-chan, she’s the greatest person on the planet and I wish I’d known her sooner,” Nico bragged propping an elbow on Maki’s shoulder and leaning heavily. Fortunately, this was the equivalent of bearing the weight of a stiff breeze.   
  
“Do you want a beer or something?” Kentaro called from the kitchen, giving Maki an idea of just how many sheets were already in the wind as her mother started cracking up.   
  
“Papa!!” Maki called out, wide-eyed and panicked. Too many angles of attack to cover!   
  
Nico shot Maki a wide-eyed questioning glare/smile as she called back, “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I’m not _that_ old yet.” she grinned and unzipped her hoodie, “... and really, water would be fine.”   
  
“Alright then… **_Tea!_ ** ” was the man’s booming response, leaving Maki to roll her eyes as her mother nearly dropped the two bloody marys from an acute case of Sudden Onset Laughter.   
  
A confused look from Nico prompted Maki to explain, “Long-time running joke. Older than me. I don’t get why it’s so funny either.”   
  
“Because **_tea_ ** , Maki!” her mother managed between giggles. After taking a second to reel it in a bit, the woman nodded toward the living room, “Come sit down. You two have probably been on your feet all day.”   
  
The woman staggered her way into the room, leaving the two alone for a second long enough for Nico to shoot Maki a ‘this is the greatest thing ever’ grin and shrug off her hoodie. She looked around for a second, likely for a coat hanger before asking, “Where should I put this?”   
  
Maki leaned toward the living room and said, “Mama, I’m going to go drop our things off in my room, okay?”   
  
“Have a safe trip, sweetie!” the woman giggled, somehow managing to widen Nico’s grin even further.   
  
“Come on,” Maki sighed, pulling the girl by the wrist toward the stairs. She only had a moment to enjoy the contact before they reached the stairs and Nico goosed her with her free hand, drawing an involuntary shriek and jump-starting a wild dash up the stairs to get away from the now continuously poking fingers.   
  
It seemed that everyone in the house was laughing as Maki continued to squeak and scurry, dashing around the bend at the top of the stairs and making a beeline for her room. The mischievous ball of evil Yazawa was right behind her the entire way, cackling despite falling behind too far for any further groping. As soon as she passed the door Maki dropped her bag and immediately set to shrugging off her jacket. Nico wasn’t far behind, still laughing giddily… even after Maki threw her jacket right in Nico’s face and all but shoved her at the bed.   
  
“You are such an _ass!”_ Maki laughed, shoving Nico’s face further into the mattress and eliciting a new round of shrill laughter.   
  
Nico shook her rear and teased with a muffled, “The finest ass!”   
  
“Ugh!!” Maki groaned, clamoring further into the bed and reaching for a pillow to smack her girlfriend with, “You’re ridiculous!”   
  
Before she could reach, however, Nico pulled on her leg, dragging her back and flipping her over. Eyes wild and grinning crookedly, Nico crawled over her and replied with a quiet, “Hey. Shut up and kiss me.”   
  
Before Nico could even finish the words, Maki’s hands were at her sides, sliding under her top and lifting her just enough to swap positions. Crashing their lips together and scoring her sides with her nails. The smaller girl was difficult to kiss, with all the involuntary grinning and giggling, but a third round of needy clawing reaching high at her front seemed to put the girl’s mind in the game.   
  
It was only a few seconds of bliss. Of pure reciprocated need. No words, only the whisper of a hungry groan, of feeling warm hands smoothing cloth and kneading the skin beneath. Too little before Maki felt the smaller girl pushing her back and scooting away, all glowing cheeks and biting lips.   
  
“Later, Maki-chan~ Don’t want to keep your _parents_ waiting,” Nico teased before rolling off the foot of the bed and smoothing her outfit. Maki pouted at her, but was honestly grateful for the moment. The moment and the promise of more. As if she were trying press her luck, Nico rounded the bed and skittered her fingers up her legs, “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”   
  
“You better,” Maki growled, fiddling with her belt, “I’ll be right down. I just want to change into something more comfortable.”   
  
Instead of complying, Nico skipped over to her dresser and set to perusing. Before Maki could even finish with her belt, Nico had already tossed her a pair of red sweatpants and one of her black-with-red-star workout shirts. “Don’t mind me. I can wait.”   
  
“Yes. You can. I’m not showing you what’s under here until you can have the time to appreciate it,” Maki deadpanned, brandishing the shirt and shaking it at the girl.   
  
“... see you down there!” Nico chirped, winked, and spirited off toward the stairwell.   
  
Maki sighed, flopped back onto the bed, and tried to get her heart to slow down as she hid her smile under her shirt.

  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

**  
**   
Good day, good day, good day~! If all dates were half as fun as today had been, Nico could see how so many idols “fell astray.” She was feelin’ flirty and on top of the world. The last point of apprehension was behind her now. Seeing Maki’s super elite and hyper dignified parents in such an honest state was incredible. Liberating. Fun and promising. She hopped over the divider at the bottom of the stairs and strolled into the living room with a single, overpoweringly strong thought dominating her heart.   
  
‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’   
  
Sure, she couldn’t legally yet, but what did that matter? She was riding _way_ too high of a high to even consider stupid things like logistics and consequences to her career. Both of Maki’s parents were nursing their drinks, but still had time and consideration to smile her way. Both of them! They _liked_ her… and as Nico had come to suspect, given her feelings about Maki, there was a good chance she’d like them back.   
  
Maki’s father, Kentaro if Nico remembered correctly, put his glass down on the coffee table and made a show of broadly presenting a tray with a teapot, a few cups, and a bowl of pretzel sticks as he rumbled, “ **_Tea._ ** ”   
  
“Thanks for the meal~” Nico replied lightly, “I think I might need you to explain that one though. I think Maki-chan was too parent-embarrassed to get into it.”   
  
“I’m so glad she’s getting to this age,” the man sighed happily, “... and bringing friends over to tease her around.”   
  
“You’re awful. Isn’t he awful?” Maki’s mother, Nadeshiko, asked, smacking his arm and then taking another sip.   
  
“Seems normal to me,” Nico shrugged, sliding the easy chair’s ottoman closer and smiling at the wash of emotion that wondered if this was what _they’d_ be like. Maki smacking at her, calling her terrible with such affection. Heck, what was she saying? They were already like that! The thought almost had her laughing as she continued, “I think Papa would get along great with him.”   
  
“Your Father was a good man. I liked him a lot,” Kentaro agreed, “He talked about you and your mother all the time. He had the right priorities.”   
  
“Honey…” Nadeshiko warned.   
  
“I’m just saying. He chose his battles wisely,” He continued, proving once again that Nico’s new circle of friends was good for her. All this talk about Papa would have normally sent her into an irritable depression spiral. Now? Just pride. Slightly melancholic pride, but not even a hint of craving a violent exit from the conversation. The man continued, “I’m glad Maki has finally started branching out. We’ve done a poor job of being a steady presence.”   
  
“She thinks the world of you,” Nico assured, “... and I think she’s been reaching out for a while. I’m just one of the lucky ones to notice.”   
  
“You, Hanayo and… Toujou, was it?” Nadeshiko asked, leaning into the armrest heavily.   
  
Nico finished a sip and reached for a pretzel stick as she weighed how much to reveal and replied, “We’ve got a pretty big circle of friends actually. I’m sure she’d tell you about them if you asked. Toujou Nozomi is a _terrible_ influence and has been my best friend for years.”   
  
“A glowing recommendation,” Kentaro nodded, “the tea thing goes back to Naddie’s father… erm… Maki’s mother’s name is Nadeshiko. Anyway, he was so angry-slash-nervous when he found out that we were dating that he would fall back into this stutter. When we announced that we were engaged, he just… sat there for a minute, got red in the face, and just bellowed ‘tea’ at me. Naddie’s mom couldn’t stop laughing, poor guy. It got better after we went drinking a few times, but we never let him live that down.”   
  
After another sip, Nico smirked in reply, “I’m getting a really clear picture of how Maki-chan got the way she is.”   
  
“She’s… she deserves better than we’ve given her,” Kentaro sighed, his voice quieted and his posture strangely anxious. Drunk people are weird to begin with, but seeing Maki’s ‘sitting nervously’ gesture being mimicked by the sizable, lanky man was utterly bizarre. A few glances toward the stairwell preceded his continued, “There’s a lot of pressure put on her, so seeing her so... happy… it means…”   
  
His face was pretty red at this point, trailing off and reaching some sort of internal roadblock. There was a sense that something in this conversation was being taken the wrong way. For as few times as she’d been around these two, it seemed strange to have such an open, honest, and personal exchange, but again… drinking.   
  
“It means a lot to us that you’ve become such a positive influence in her life,” Nadeshiko filled in as Kentaro petered off completely, hiding his face behind his glass, “Over the past month, she’s been happier than we’ve seen since around the time she started school. I don’t mean to pressure you, but we hope that you can continue to be a good friend to our Maki.”   
  
That was it. It felt like these two were handing off some of Maki’s upbringing to _her._ That’s what felt so… wildly uncomfortable about this. They were treating her more as a personal peer than as a child like their daughter. It’s not like she didn’t have parenting experience with her own siblings, but… Maki often felt more mature than _she_ was.   
  
Nico needed another drink. Maybe a beer wouldn’t have been such a bad thing after all. Strange as it all was, the good feelings still _far_ outweighed the discomfort.   
  
“She’s been just as good to me,” Nico replied in an equally low voice, “You should see her with the rest of the kids. Cotaro just kinda latches on to her and doesn’t let go til’ it’s bedtime or she leaves. For an only child, she’s _really_ good with kids.”   
  
Nadeshiko snort-laughed and replied, “I did _not_ see that coming. Sounds like Maki might be a better Mama than me when she… you know… gets there.”   
  
“When I get where?” Maki called from the stairs, appearing in the doorway wearing an extra long pale purple shirt with big soft white stars all over. Nico would have pouted at her wardrobe selection being ignored, but Maki looked _adorable_ and Nico _might_ be a sucker for the long-shirt-only look.   
  
The youngest in the room walked around the back of the couch and leaned over the back to give her parents pecks on their cheeks, somehow flustering her father even more and absolutely _delighting_ her mother. As she continued to round the couch, she continued, “I hope I didn’t miss too much.”   
  
The surprises never cease. In what Nico would have considered a _bold_ power move, the redhead plopped down on the ottoman beside her, nearly nudging her off and nonchalantly reaching for a few pretzel sticks while finishing, “... or that Nico-chan didn’t say too much bad stuff about me.”   
  
Turn-about is fair play, so Nico shot back with, “Only that you’re the rudest kid I’ve ever met.”   
  
“She’ll need that,” Kentaro replied, finally coming out of his fluster-bomb, “It’s the only way to get any real respect out of some of those old goats.”   
  
As Maki topped off Nico’s cup before filling her own, smiling easily, Nadeshiko poked her husband with her half-eaten celery stick, “Forget about those morons for now. Let’s hear about how you two spent your day.”   
  
The older man grunted in approval as he grabbed a few pretzels for himself. Maki took a steadying breath at her side, giving a hint at how carefully she was weighing how to handle this. Fortunately, Nico was feeling warmed up already and took lead with, “We started off with me giving Maki-chan a tour of Otome Road, down in Ikebukuro. Keepin’ up with trends is a big part of show business, so I try to stay up to date. She was curious since it’s… pretty much all I ever talk about, so I taught her to ropes. She caught on _annoyingly_ fast.”   
  
Maki rolled her eyes as Nico mimicked Nadeshiko’s earlier celery poke with a pretzel stick before taking charge with, “It wasn’t that hard. Still, I found some pretty good inspiration while we were out.”   
  
“Another new song?” Nadeshiko asked, now truly lounging and draping her legs over her increasingly drowsy husband’s lap.   
  
“Maybe,” Maki hedged with a cautious eye on her father, “I’ve got a few ideas floating around. Anyway, we got some food in the area before I dragged Nico-chan to the National Nature and Science museum. The Tunashiro Wada collection was back in town and I wanted to show it off to her.”   
  
“It is!?” Kentaro interjected, coming out of his haze for a moment, “I haven’t seen that since you were… you were… a lot younger.”   
  
“We ended up making most of a day of it. We actually just got back from there,” Maki wrapped up, covering her face as she yawned, “It was fun. I’d been meaning to tell you it was back in town, but we keep missing each other.”   
  
“We have some news we’ve been meaning to share with you too,” Maki’s mother managed before succumbing to the power of social yawning.   
  
“There’s another gala coming up and we’d like you to make an appearance as well,” Kentaro continued in her stead, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his lap, “Most of the inner family will be there along with some other big names in the field.”   
  
Nadeshiko picked up where her husband left off, “We know you’ve been really busy lately, but this is one of _those_ gatherings. With everything happening with Goichi…”   
  
“Not a problem,” Maki assured, though there was definitely a tension in her posture that absolutely betrayed the ease of her reply, “Just let me know when.”   
  
“Thursday next week,” Kentaro replied, “It sounds like it’ll be a late night.”   
  
“Would you like to go with a kimono again?” Nadeshiko asked, pouting at her empty glass and then rearranging herself into a normal sitting position.   
  
“I… think I’d be ready for a dress,” Maki replied, her tone carrying strange weight for such a normal decision… and her mother’s response was even more confusing.   
  
“ _Really?_ Are you certain?”   
  
“Could… I bring a second?” Maki asked with that same strange weight, even more concerning as the girl laid her hand over one of Nico’s. The whole conversation was a minefield of unknowns for the older girl, so suddenly being drawn into the topic was alarming.   
  
Whatever subtext was flying over her head, Nico was relieved to see Maki’s mother relax at the suggestion. Her father too, for that matter. The tipsy woman blew out a long breath and replied, “You’re asking a lot of your friend, but I don’t have a problem with it.”   
  
“No complaints here,” Maki’s father shrugged, “As long as we wouldn’t be imposing on Nico too much for it. These… aren’t exactly fun outings.”   
  
“Is the food good?” Nico offered, trying to keep the mood light despite not getting any kind of reading on her girlfriend. Maki’s expression was at her most stoic, only amping the strange seriousness of what didn’t seem like an overly dramatic conversation.   
  
“I… where is this one again, honey?” the weary man asked.   
  
“ANA. It’ll be one of the only good parts of the night,” Nadeshiko assured, “I’ll forward the invite to you later. The menu should be attached.”   
  
“You have Nico’s address?” Maki blinked.   
  
“Nico’s as well as Toujou’s and Ayase’s, actually,” Nadeshiko admitted, “I keep hoping they’ll send me some candid shots of you at school, but no one has yet.”   
  
“All you had to do was ask!” Nico slid in with a grin, “I’ll totally hook up Mama number two~”   
  
Maki’s mother’s immediate giggling was well worth the look of near horror from her girlfriend, so Nico kept rolling with, “Since I’ll be Maki’s lady-date to keep the rich boys at bay, does that mean I’m wearing a suit and tie or a dress?”   
  
Maki’s horror went full tomato, pale skin filling with blush. Her whispered plea for oblivion went ignored as her mother replied, “Oh! It _would_ be unfair to expect you to get a dress on such short notice on your own. Come shopping with us?”   
  
Oh this was too good.   
  
“If it wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t exactly budget for swank gala dresses,” Nico sighed, elbowing her girlfriend, “But if you’re offering, I’d appreciate it.”   
  
“It’s the least we could do!”   
  
“Mama… ,” Maki whined.   
  
“I’m glad you’re coming too,” Kentaro admitted, resembling Maki’s near-exhaustion-collapse point more by the second, “I don’t think I’d be ready if one of the Kyodai or Ootori boys tried making a pass.”   
  
“ _Papa… ,_ ” Maki whined harder.   
  
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it clear as possible that Maki-chan is aaaaall mine,” Nico assured, clasping hands with her critical mass girlfriend.   
  
“ _Nico-chan… ,”_ Maki groaned piteously.   
  
“You two look like you should get some sleep,” Nico continued, ignoring Maki’s semi-meltdown, “... and I know it’s _way_ past _my_ bedtime. You Nishikino are _crazy_ night owls.”   
  
Kentaro thumped his chest proudly and Nadeshiko unsteadily rose to her feet and replied, “Absolutely. We’ll let you two get to bed… but if we could just get a moment more with you alone? Sorry sweetheart, it’ll just be a moment.”   
  
“Uhh… yeah. No problem,” Maki replied, wide-eyed and confused, which looked good with the remaining blush. She looked between her mother and Nico before adding, “I’ll go clean up.”   
  
“I’ll be right behind you,” Nico assured, carefully standing so as not to bump the coffee table and stepping back so Maki could do the same. Her girlfriend wasn’t quite as attentive and twacked her knee against its edge. Not hard enough to knock anything over, just seeming to prove she was still the same clumsy girl she’d always been.   
  
After Maki had hobbled out of earshot, Nico mused, “If she ends up being a surgeon like you two, I hope she gets over that klutziness.”   
  
“I was just as bad as she is,” Kentaro admitted as he too rose to his feet, “I’m guessing she just has a little more growing to do.”   
  
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nadeshiko asked, rounding the table with an almost alarmingly more sober voice and awake expression, “This really will likely be a fairly unpleasant evening.”   
  
“All the more reason to go,” Nico shrugged, swallowing down a fresh wave of apprehension, “I can keep the boys away and give her someone to hang out with. Is there anything I should know going into this? You might not believe this from looking at me, but I don’t usually go to parties at all, let alone ones for gazillionaires.”   
  
After the words were already in the air, Nico realized the potential impropriety even mentioning the wealth gap. She _must_ be tired. Fortunately, Maki’s mother didn’t seem bothered in the slightest as she replied, “I’ll fill you in over the phone. Just message me when you have a moment. I might not get back to you right away, but I don’t want to keep you up too long. Just arrange with Maki when you two would be able to go shopping and I’ll _make_ the time.”   
  
“She’s been waiting for Maki to drop the kimono for these for ages,” Kentaro explained without explaining much.   
  
“There’s something more to that than I think I get,” Nico admitted before losing to another yawn.   
  
The man let loose a yawn of his own before replying, “Just something we agreed on that would be Maki’s way of letting us know she was _considering_ entertaining the idea of dating… which _is_ fairly odd given that she _just_ started her first term at an all-girls school. I’d ask her, but… you know how she is.”   
  
“She’d freeze up in a second,” Nico agreed, “Which… I don’t dislike about her. It’s kind of cute.”   
  
“It is,” Nadeshiko agreed with a meaningful glance her husband’s way, “We’ll let you head on up. I imagine you have about as much makeup to clear off as Maki does.”   
  
“Almost. Thanks for the tea and… looking forward to going shopping!” Nico winked as she backed toward the stairwell, offering a slight bow and finishing off with, “Good night.”   
  
“Good night. Don’t let her keep you up too late,” the woman replied before turning back to her husband, the last Nico would see of either of them for the night.   
  
This… really weird, unexpected, but not unpleasant night.   
  
Sure enough, she found Maki at the upstairs sink, full on tanuki and past the skin-care cleansers that usually followed the makeup removal, meaning she was working in some much needed moisturizer. The sight of those poor sleep-deprivation-bruised eyes had somehow become… intimate. A sight just for her.   
  
“Hey there, beautiful,” Nico greeted with a wink, “There any room at that sink for me?”   
  
The redhead’s brow immediately creased, concern practically dripping from her expression as she turned. It really was amazing how much more expressive she became once the concealer was gone… maybe that’s where the preference was coming from. At odds with that warmth was Maki’s immediate, “I am _so_ sorry. I wasn’t thinking… I should have asked you before…”   
  
She didn’t get a chance to finish as Nico had closed the door, crossed the distance, and silenced her with a kiss that pushed her several steps back and to the wall. She whined in annoyance for only a moment before she caught on that the lip contact just _might_ mean that everything was alright.   
  
“You’re right,” Nico softly agreed after a moment, “You should have… but if you’re going to go declaring that you’re date ready, I’m glad I’ll be there to stake my claim…”   
  
It was incredible just how much more intense Maki’s blush was without the professional level concealer in the way. Nico continued to press her advantage, “I don’t care _how_ weird, awkward, or boring this thing is. If it’s where you are, that’s where I want to be. You _might_ have noticed we spend more time together now than apart. I don’t do what I don’t _want_ to do...”   
  
This wasn’t the first time words like these had been shared between them, but this time seemed to be having a heavier effect on the girl than before. Who knows what weird jigsaw puzzles of worry she’d caught herself in that had her so emotionally charged?   
  
“I’d spend _all_ my time with Maki-chan if I could. Plus, this way we get to dress up super fancy together… and I get to see my Maki-chan during her ‘debut’,”   
  
“Nico-chan…” Maki sighed, having trouble maintaining eye contact.   
  
“Shh… let me get this makeup off… I wanna get to bed. Can you get my hair?”   
  
Giving Maki something to do usually helped unwind the knots of apprehension pretty well. It’s not like there was a lot to do back there, but it felt nice. Maki predicatibly nodded and sighed with what must have been relief as Nico snuck a few more kisses from her lips to her cheek to her ears to whisper, “I can’t wait to just… lay there and look at my beautiful girlfriend.”   
  
“... I love you, too…” Maki whispered. The pause sounded like a swallowed playful insult, which made the admission feel all the more precious.   
  
“That’s right you do _,_ ” Nico grinned as she pulled away, “Now get over here and play with Nico’s hair. Maybe give me a primer on dealing with swanky rich people parties.”   
  
“Let me finish up first,” Maki sighed, smiling as she nudged in some space at the sink. She _did_ still have some excess melon-scented creme that needed rubbing in still clinging to her cheek.   
  
“I _still_ can’t believe those are your natural lashes,” Nico faux-pouted, “It’s like you were _designed_ to be perfect or something.”   
  
“If I were, I wouldn’t bump into everything,” Maki groaned in reply, reaching for the tweezers and pushing her hair away from her eyebrows.   
  
“Balance in all things,” Nico shrugged as she scrubbed away her contouring. Real quality coloring that Maki had suggested, “You weren’t kidding about this stuff. It makes a world of difference. Same effect with barely a quarter of the application.”   
  
“We should see if we can’t get Kotori to come up with some costumes where we can put things like stars on your cheeks,” Maki mused.   
  
“You like that kind of thing?” Nico asked.   
  
“I was catching up on the 90’s videos you suggested and Watermelon Tourmali had all of these… I don’t know, decals? They had stars and hearts and kiss marks all over. I thought they were printed on nylons at first. It was kind of cool.”   
  
“Ahh, so Maki-chan likes the temporary tattoo thing,” Nico ribbed, swapping to a new cotton swab.   
  
“I used to want a real one. Just a few years ago. _That_ got shut down quick,” Maki grinned, “Good thing too. I’d hate it now.”   
  
“I’d say so. That’s actually kind of coming back now. The paint-stamp thing. I bet Kotori’d love that.”   
  
“Oh, did you two ever get Nozomi’s measurements?”   
  
“No,” Nico grumbled, capping the remover and moving to cleanser, “I think she and Eli still think they’re getting out of being in the video.”   
  
“It might not be a bad idea,” Maki suggested, “Slowly introduce the new members. I mean, right now, the only video that’s live is the one with the second years.”   
  
Nico growled, “That’s… actually not a bad point… but I don’t want Nozomi thinking she can just wiggle out of these all the time. It’s like she’s planning to just stay behind the camera all the time.”   
  
“That would be a shame… I like watching her dance,” Maki sighed, looking herself over one last time, “So… what do you want to hear about first?”   
  
“Is this Goichi guy the same one that’s trying to cause trouble with you and your mom ascending to the throne or whatever?” Nico asked, hoping the levity wouldn’t be taken poorly.   
  
_Man_ did the raccoon eyes add to the dark in her glare. The redhead bit the inside of her cheek as she slid behind Nico and started to undo her pigtails with unnecessary roughness. Nico would have complained, but the tugging actually felt kind of nice. After a moment, Maki replied, “Yeah. That’s him. If we’re lucky, he’ll do his usual “ignore my existence” act. We’re both usually happier when he does. If he comes up to us, just… be patient and try not to engage.”   
  
“Nico can handle some jerky men,” Nico waved off, but urked when Maki tugged on her remaining pigtail _hard._ _  
_ _  
_ “I mean it. He’s good at finding ways to make Mama look bad. That advice is more for _her_ sake than ours,” Maki warned, before soothing fingers apologized for her earlier action, “That’s how I usually handle most of the people at these things, but with him it’s extra important.”   
  
Nico nodded seriously, again having to remind herself that _she_ was the older of the two. She rinsed her cleanser and reached for the moisturizer. Deciding it was worth the potential backlash, she chanced, “Who are the Kyodai and the Ootori? Your dad mentioned them. Are they a big deal or something?”   
  
“Definitely a big deal. The Kyodai Conglomerate has a lot of hands in the same medical supply companies that we do,” Maki freely replied, “They’re a pretty big family that floods events like these. They have a few sons that have been looking our way for a while now that are close enough to my age that it gets... weird. The Ootori Group is a much bigger deal, but most of their sons are already paired off already. That said, we’ve never been able to find a way to amicably mesh with their territory, so neither side usually interacts much. They handle a lot of higher end luxury-level medical care publically, but the brunt of their power is just like ours. Supply chain, partnerships, deep-seeded roots in a lot of the foundations of the nation’s healthcare systems.”   
  
“Where do you keep all this stuff?” Nico laughed, toweling off before reaching for her toothbrush, “Maki-chan’s like a supercomputer. One minute she’s a musical prodigy, next she’s a business master.”   
  
Maki stuck her tongue out at this and mimicked Nico’s toothbrush-reach-action, “I’m neither. Anyone could do what I do with the same upbringing. Scoot over.”   
  
Again with the weird inability to accept praise. Since they were both preoccupied with brushing, it gave Nico time to realize how her girlfriend’s protests varied. In public, most of these denials came with flustered blushing and no details. When they were alone, most of these would involve some kind of shoving, rolled eyes, and usually smiles. This time had none of those… and it matched other reactions to similar praise.   
  
The only time she seemed to accept compliments was on her appearance or on _specific_ aspects of the music she composed. One more piece of the Maki-chan puzzle that Nico wasn’t sure where to place, or even how important it was.   
  
Like, humility is good, but the flippant disregard of her own hard work made Nico _wildly_ uncomfortable. These were efforts and capabilities that Nico found genuinely impressive. Admirable. Why would she take so little pride in her accomplishments?   
  
“You alright?” Maki asked just after rinsing, “You kinda froze up there.”   
  
“Mm!” Nico exclaimed, her mouth occupied with brush and foam, “MmMm. Mrrmi.”   
  
“... Right,” Maki smirked, backing away from the sink with an over-the-top yawn, “Finish up soon… I think I might be able to sleep if I get in there before I catch another wind.” The redhead turned and strolled out of the bathroom, giving one last peck on the cheek on her way out.   
  
Nico pouted a little, but absolutely recognized that she’d be regretting it in the morning if they’d followed through with her original hopes for the night.

  


* * *

**Minami Kotori  
**  


“This... is going to be… _AMAZING!”_   
  
“Honoka,” Umi sighed, somehow managing to not be slowed down at all by the other girl swinging their clasped hands wildly, “You really should mind your volume in public.”   
  
“How could I when I’m so _excited!!_ I could just… _Kaboom! Swoosh!! Kapow!”_   
  
Kotori giggled, watching Umi endure Honoka’s surprisingly graceful swooping and flailing from a few steps behind. For once, her most enduring friend had finished homework to brag about. Her profile submissions to Dengeki G’s. All that was left was a few group shots and they would begin to go truly public.   
  
They’d all started to feel it. Even Umi. The rising of something incredible. None of them had just been going through the motions, and each of them found something absolutely integral that they could contribute.   
  
Just like Toujou-senpai had suggested. It had to be the full nine.   
  
Her mother had sworn her to secrecy, but she had more faith in this avenue than she could ever admit. Shameful as it was for a school to rely on its students to keep the doors open, this was the only measure that she could act upon, through inaction, that wouldn’t require agreement from the Board. Permission through only strict adherence to school policy. Last night’s dinner had been _wonderful_ after so many months of seeing her mother’s spirits wane in the face of the schools impending closure.   
  
Their’s hadn’t been the only effort made to save the school. The remnants of the video gaming club had offered some bold proposals that were entirely unsustainable. The kendo club, nursing the incomparable loss of both their last year’s champion in Honoka-chan, their staunchest captain in Umi-chan, and nearly half of their remaining number to last year’s graduating class, had pledged their support with just as much desperation as they’d overheard from the student council president.   
  
So much support… and so much love for their school. Time after time, it had broken her mother’s heart to have nothing she could offer or agree to that wouldn’t break the protocols she was bound to uphold . The school’s Trustees would rather see the schools “proud heritage” be the end of it rather than see it evolve with the times. So, getting to see her mother so excited, low-key as it was, was practically euphoric. Knowing that she was an integral part of what was bringing that happiness?   
  
Priceless.   
  
“Honoka… ,” Umi growled, pulling Kotori from her reverie. That tone was never good.   
  
“Yeah, that’s right,” Honoka preened, in the middle of a palm-thrust combination that Umi was deflecting with no real effort. One of the things that Honoka shared with Umi that Kotori had zero interest in participating, “I don’t want you thinking I’ve lost a step!”   
  
Umi didn’t look very thrilled either, her voice clearly displaying the end of her tolerance. She redirected one of Honoka’s playful strikes high and commented, “This is neither the time,” before pulling the energetic dynamo’s follow-up attack cross-body to spin her around and shove her stumbling toward the path ahead, “... nor the place. If you want to spar, attend _practice_ for a change.”   
  
Kotori may not have any interest in practicing herself, but seeing her two dearest in action was absolutely beautiful. Dizzyingly intricate lace in motion. Still, it wouldn’t do to leave Umi to stew. She picked up the pace to slide in at Umi’s side and do a little redirecting of her own, “Do you think there’ll be time for practice after class today? For µ's?”   
  
Umi visibly swallowed down any irritation Honoka’s impromptu spar session might have sparked to reply, “I suppose it depends on how long it would take to compile all of our entries together for the magazine submission.”   
  
“Umi-chan handwrote hers, didn’t she?” Kotori teased.   
  
“By the time dinner was finished, Mother needed the computer,” Umi replied simply, though her cheeks were certainly turning red. Umi _hated_ typing.   
  
“Wha!? We had to _type_ these!?” Honoka cried as she turned dramatically, hand to heart.   
  
“No,” Kotori soothed, Honoka was always so _dramatic,_ “It would probably just have saved some time if we didn’t need someone to retype them.”  
  
“Not it,” Honoka announced, hand held high. Umi just covered her face and grumbled. Kotori had the sinking sensation that she might be stuck with the responsibility, but wasn’t able to dwell on it long as a new voice rang out.   
  
“Kousaka Honoka!!” rang out through the street as they made their final approach to the school, “I challenge you to a dance off!”   
  
Umi’s face turned a darker red than the challenger’s companion’s hair as Nico charged their position, her phone blaring a sugary synth-beat.   
  
“Don’t cry when I kick your butt, senpai!!” Honoka roared in response as the two flew at each other in a flurry of weaving and intricate arm waving that _had_ to have been previously choreographed.   
  
Umi predictably left their mutual friend behind without giving either fellow idol another glance. Apparently, Maki had the same idea and fell in step beside, giving Kotori an easy out to follow. Both girls looked suitably embarrassed, though the “sparring” pair’s antics seemed to be entertaining quite a few of the other girls milling around the courtyard.   
  
“It looks like Maki-chan has it rough too,” Kotori offered, hoping to capitalize on this rare opportunity for the three of them to be together outside of the music or clubrooms.   
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maki grumbled, weaving her finger through her hair despite the ghost of a smile being present, “I _am_ glad I ran into you two though.”   
  
“Oh?” Umi piqued, seeming to latch on to the lifeline that could pull her from the public demonstration behind her which was starting to draw cheers.   
  
“I had inspiration for another one last night,” Maki alluded, giving Umi one of those looks that had originally made Kotori so interested in the girl. Liquid confidence and almost predatory intimacy… that she had come to realize she had _totally_ misread. “I haven’t had the time to get anything written down yet, but I’m certain it’ll pair with _that_ song.”   
  
Umi’s eyes widening confirmed that this exchange was _completely_ unfair. They had a secret that was clearly about music… and music making time was supposed to be for the three of them! This called for some pressure. Kotori pressed a finger to her cheek and laid into the two with a heavy handed, “What’s that? What are you talking about?”   
  
Umi winced a little, but Maki only traded a little unintentional sultry for a teeny bit of sparkle as she replied, “Something a little off-genre, but it’s going to blow people’s minds.”   
  
“Ehh?” Kotori prompted as Umi squirmed even harder.   
  
“Umi and I were talking the other night,” Maki began.   
  
“ _Ohh?_ ” Kotori slipped in as Maki took a breath. Umi’s guilt was palpable.   
  
“Her notebook covers a few topics _really_ well. I found a lot of thematic trends that fall in line with what I assumed idols to be able,” Maki continued, her proximity-to-Nico shame apparently forgotten as the sparkle continued to build, “I’ve been listening to a _lot_ of music lately. Things I would have never even considered before. It told me that the way I’ve been approaching µ's’ music is a bit off. High energy is good, but the variety of _ways_ to be high energy _really_ needs to be explored more or we’ll just come off one-note.”   
  
Ah. This was going into music theory stuff again. Before Kotori’s enthusiasm could truly start to wane, Maki threw her a diamond-studded lifeline. Her voice was lower and she had leaned in for further privacy as she continued, “Umi’s songs are almost exclusively centered around two things. Optimism and love. There’s a difference between high energy coming from fast music and that feeling coming from intense emotion.”   
  
Umi looked like she might explode at any second, but Maki continued completely unaware... giving Kotori that A+ voyeuristic facial journey that just made life worth living, “What I’m saying is, we can’t just get the audience pumped up. Once in a while, we need to lay into them with a song that grabs their heart so hard that they think they’re _dying._ Some of Umi’s lyrics are so good, I think we can do just that.”   
  
Now for the coup de grace. Kotori wolfishly grinned past Maki at Umi and drew attention to her critical mass with a simple, “I think Umi-chan’s already dying a little.”   
  
“Bueh?” Maki buehed, turning in confusion as Umi fumbled trying to slide her shoes into her locker.   
  
It’s the little things.

  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  
“ _Of course_ there’s nuance to idols!” Kayo all but exclaimed, jostling her glasses as she rubbed her forehead, “Hasn’t Nico-senpai been giving you enough variety to research!?”   
  
“Well, yeah,” Maki defended after finishing her bite, happy that the girl had at least a few topics she didn’t shy away from, “But she’s going about it in chronological order more than thematically. Basics are important. How was I supposed to know idols sing about love too? Doesn’t that kinda go against that love ban thing?”   
  
Rin snickered as Hanayo pounded down three mouthfuls of rice before even _considering_ responding. Fair. Kayo-chin with a temper was kind of cute and pretty rare. Rin seemed to think she was being sneaky as she snaked her chopsticks into Maki’s bento to snag a crouton from her salad, but gasped when she found Maki pulling one of her cherry tomatoes in retaliation.   
  
“Hey!”   
  
No mercy. Before Rin could try to trade back, Maki popped the prize and revelled in the victory. Unfortunately, Rin’s pout was a bit more effective than Maki would have expected, so she pinched one of her larger pieces of prosciutto (Waki made the _best_ bento) and held it up in offering.   
  
“Nya… What is _that_ ?” Rin asked warily, seeming almost as confused by Maki offering to feed her than by the offering’s appearance.   
  
She was getting to pull out all kinds of Papa’s old explanations lately, “Prosciutto. Thin dry-cured ham. Go ahead.”   
  
The natural cat girl’s glance passed over to Kayo for a moment before leaning in and chomping it down. Just to be fair, Maki reached in to snag another piece and asked Hanayo, “You want any?”   
  
“No thanks. I’ve always found it a bit stringy,” she replied, though at least she was smiling again. Kindness to Rin _always_ put her in a better mood.   
  
“That’s fair,” Maki acquiesced before asking, “... and maybe I should get a required listening list from you too. Did you need help typing up the others’ bios? It sounds like it’s just the second years that did it by hand.”   
  
“Already done,” Hanayo boasted, capping her now empty bento/bucket, “... but I still want to add some more group shots before we send it off. Everyone had some good personal pictures, but idol groups need to prove their chemistry.”   
  
“Plenty of _that_ going around,” Maki mused aloud, poking around for her next bite. Honestly, the love ban was making less sense the more she learned.   
  
“Maki-chan’s really talkative today, nya,” Rin chimed in after packing away most of the rest of her lunch, “What’s the occasion?”   
  
“I slept last night,” Maki shrugged, and as Rin puzzled over the response continued toward Hanayo, “What kind of chemistry did you have in mind?”   
  
“I… have a few ideas. They depend on how comfortable everyone is with touching and being touched.”   
  
“I’m pretty sure Umi’ll be the only person that’ll give you any trouble then,” Maki replied flatly, seconds before she had a lap full of Rin.   
  
“Nya hah! Does that mean Maki-chan likes cuddling too now!?”   
  
Having barely moved her bento out of the way in time, Maki lowered it back down on Rin’s head and pulled out another bite to lay on the ‘I’m ignoring you now’ vibe, complete with half-lidded eyes and a flat voiced continuation toward Hanayo, “You got this idea from Nozomi, didn’t you?”   
  
“Maybe a little,” Hanayo winked.

  


\------  ------

  


It turned out that Eli had trouble adapting to the impromptu ‘playful’ photoshoot as well. Way more than Umi, who seemed to be comfortable taking on the role of smug overseer for many of the shots. Honestly, it was a lot of fun goofing around with everyone. Providing this kind of over-the-top fanservice might turn into a guilty pleasure.  
  
However, when looking back over the collection Maki worried a little about how often she and Nico incidentally appeared next to each other. Sure, a few people knew about them, but their relationship _was_ still supposed to be a secret. This was a very real start to what would become Nico’s professional career… Maki didn’t want to put that at risk.   
  
“Something wrong~?” teased a voice that startled her from her focus on her phone. She locked the screen, which had previously shown the shot of her gunning to pinch Honoka’s sides and everyone looking shocked about it, and turned to find the previously intended victim herself.   
  
“No,” Maki replied, a bit hastily, “Nothing’s wrong. Why?”   
  
“Maki-chan was smiling all on her own~” Honoka continued to lay on, plopping down beside her on the piano bench and scooting hip-to-hip, “... but then got all serious. It’s always like that with you in here. What’s up with that?”   
  
Easy out. “You mean like how I take some time on my own to enjoy playing music before some monster appears in the window?”   
  
“Buuuu,” Honoka pouts, making a face and leaning in to try and catch a glimpse of Maki’s screen, “Maki-chan wasn’t playing music this time.”   
  
“Music is always playing up here,” Maki bragged as she tapped her forehead in as disinterested a tone as possible while still revelling in all the attention, “It’s the only way I can keep up with you girls.”   
  
“Yeah!? Is it something new?” Honoka latched on, both figuratively and literally as she wrapped Maki’s arm up in her’s.   
  
Given that the explanation was supposed to be an excuse to draw attention from what she’d been looking at and had no bearing on reality, Maki faltered for just a moment, “It… uhh… yeah. Yes. It’s another new one.”   
  
“Is this in addition to the one you insinuated this morning?” Umi prompted as she made her arrival a bit later than usual, the bag carrying her change of clothing from archery practice looped on her arm, “You’re going to run out of lyrics at this rate.”   
  
“Umi!” Honoka waved enthusiastically, nearly bowling Maki over as she leaned in heavily enough to push both of them toward the edge of the bench, “Good work at practice! You looked _really_ cool today.”   
  
Thanks to all the practice from Cotaro and Cocoa lately, Maki managed to endure Honoka’s unbalancing shove without freaking out as Umi looked away flustered, “You were there?”   
  
Before Honoka could respond, Umi squeaked and jumped away from the door, revealing a grinning Kotori who slid the door shut behind her and chided, “Like you didn’t know. I saw you being a try-hard.”   
  
“I _always_ try my best!” Umi protested, rubbing her behind, “Whether practicing alone or for an audience.”   
  
“No way,” Honoka continued to tease, “Umi looked _way_ too regal for it to be normal. I think all this idol practice is paying off.”   
  
“Umi-chan’s definitely better at performing since we started,” Kotori added as Umi began to protest.   
  
“Maybe I should come see sometime,” Maki mused aloud, intentionally upgrading this conversation to Triple-Threat status for poor Umi.   
  
“You _would_ want to watch,” Kotori redirected, placing Maki square in her sights as she rubbed Umi’s shoulders in hopes of soothing her after so much teasing attention.   
  
Both Kotori and Honoka laughed as Maki shrugged, winked, and weakly faux-explained it away, “Inspiration can come from anywhere. If I’m going to put music to her words, of course I should see her in action.”   
  
“You are all shameless,” Umi groaned, slapping her forehead when Kotori followed the denouncement with a loud cheek smooch, “ _Utterly. Shameless.”_   
  
“Sounds like a dare,” Honoka wiggled, perching on Maki’s side (now completely pinned on her side and doing a great job of looking bored about it), “You know… if your acting like that over a kiss on the cheek…”   
  
Rolling her eyes, Umi strode up and started to pull a laughing Honoka off of Maki by the ear, “You’re going to give our songwriter the wrong idea if you keep that up, Honoka.”   
  
“Oh, don’t pretend that Maki-chan doesn’t know what’s up,” Kotori waved off breezily.   
  
Honoka froze despite Umi’s continued tugging, slumping back down and sitting directly onto Maki’s side, “Know about what?”   
  
“... That the three of you are engaged in some sort of scandalous polyamorous relationship?” Maki deadpanned before continuing, “Also, I am not a bench.”   
  
With that, Maki rolled onto her back, which she’d assumed would send Honoka falling backward off the edge of the bench and serve as a punctuation to her one-liner. No such luck, as Honoka’s feet were firmly planted, meaning that fearless leader’s rear just dropped onto Maki’s stomach. It’s not that Honoka was particularly heavy… it’s just that everyone underestimated how little there was to Maki’s torso because of the bulk that her blazer added.   
  
“Wow,” Honoka commented as Maki failed to do much more than wheeze and gesture wildly as the words just didn’t come, “Maki-chan is really tiny…”   
  
“Get off of her!” Umi demanded, lifting a concerned Honoka off of the red-faced pianist.   
  
“What do you mean by scandalous?” Honoka pressed, focusing back on the admission instead of supporting her own weight, leaving Umi to continue holding her aloft by her underarms.   
  
Kotori, who looked to be wrangling in an enormous smile, managed, “Nothing bad, I’d guess. Just not everyone is as lucky as Honoka-chan~”   
  
Not wanting to let on how borderline painful that had been, Maki remained on her back as she replied, “That’s right. If word got out, it’d be a scandal given that idols aren’t supposed to date or whatever, but it doesn’t bother me.”   
  
“Huh?” Honoka blinked, looking at Kotori for clarification, “We’re not dating. We’re just together!”   
  
Umi audibly sighed and let go, leaving Honoka to drop on her rear. As Maki still had full intentions of pursuing a career in medicine, she of course took no pleasure in hearing Honoka’s plaintive yelp at the awkward landing.   
  
Nope. None at all.   


 

\------  ------

  


“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I finally understand Principal Minami’s hesitation regarding all of this,” Eli mused aloud instead of a greeting.  
  
Maki turned from her shoe locker in confusion, mostly to make sure that the words had been intended for her. The tallest member of µ's was in full Student Council President mode, arms crossed and expression serious. It was one of the more admirable traits the girl possessed, having such solid filters on her behavior that she could be so professional in one moment and fun-loving and energetic the next… the latter having been a far rarer sight so far.   
  
Still, having the serious face aimed her way was a bit of a surprise, even more when backed up by an equally serious looking Nozomi.   
  
“What are you talking about?” Maki prompted, when it seemed that no further explanation was forthcoming. The other girls milling around vacated, leaving just the three of them.   
  
“One of the primary requirements handed down for µ's to be permitted to exist in this school is that its members do not overextend themselves or have a diminished academic experience,” Eli continued in full formal tone.   
  
Nozomi followed up with, “We’re worried that Maki-chan might have a bit too much on her plate right now.”   
  
“What gives you that idea?” Maki hedged, trying to pinpoint where she’d given the impression that she was stretched thin through the haze that was settling in from having skipped her lunch nap.   
  
Eli stepped closer as she continued what was starting to feel like a reprimand, “Your academic record suggests you’re going to be the top of your class. You attend after-school cram lessons. Nakamura-sensei claims he’s seen you working at your parent’s hospital, which I should add would normally be against school policy. Those three things alone would be more than enough to fill any person’s schedule… but now you’ve added µ's performance practice and its musical composition responsibilities?”   
  
Nozomi flanked Maki, only adding to the sense of being ganged up on, “There’s only so many hours in the day. You can’t work all the time.”   
  
Eli reinforced, “We’re not saying that µ's isn’t fun, but it _is_ a lot of work.”   
  
Nozomi added with a comforting hand on her shoulder, “We’re worried that Maki-chan might get burned out if she tries to keep this pace.”   
  
“Could you…” Maki began, raising her hands to ward the two off and having to close her eyes to restrain the wave of dizziness, “... maybe pick a side to talk to me from? I’m getting vertigo here.”   
  
Eli’s demeanor only deepened, “Is it already happening?”   
  
“No,” Maki hedged, very much not liking where this conversation was going and starting to feel the flush of frustration at not knowing how to steer it away, “This has nothing to do with that.”   
  
Nozomi made her way back to Eli’s side as she commented, “The others have noticed, y’know. Pretty sure you’ve got Rin-chan turned inside out with whiplash over how she feels about you.”   
  
Irritability reared its ugly head, unheeding as usual of social protocol or ageist pecking orders Maki bit back, “What are you suggesting? I can’t control how Rin reacts to things.”   
  
Eli’s eyes widened and her posture softened as Nozomi’s took on a sharper edge. Opposite from what Maki might have expected if she were considering things like that. In a surprisingly placating tone, Eli replied, “I’m just asking that you consider pacing yourself. I’ve seen plenty of girls overwork themselves to the point where they can’t achieve anything… and they were juggling a lot less than you are.”   
  
Her irritation continuing to rise, Maki stood her ground and deepened Nozomi’s frown, “How would I go about that? Where _exactly_ could I take things easier and still get everything done?”   
  
Maki raised her hands, clenched her eyes, and stepped back against the lockers. She was getting too hot, too fast. The subject was… surprisingly volatile for her. Only barely sounding sincere, Maki retreated, “Sorry. I’m sorry. Really.”   
  
When she opened her eyes again, behind her well-meaning seniors, she noticed Nico and Kotori lingering behind the stairs and watching. She tried to pay them no mind as she worked to dial back her surprise rage-on and continued, “Things have been a little crazy, sure, but this is really the best I’ve been since… as far back as I can remember. Being in µ's is helping. A lot.”   
  
“That’s not exactly encouraging,” Eli sighed, adding more fuel to the flame, “Just make sure you let us know when things start to become too much.”   
  
“I won’t let any issues I may have affect the group,” Maki assured, passive face back in place despite the unidentified indignation and embarrassment.   
  
“That’s not really our main concern here,” Eli added after a pause, “... I hope you know that. We’ll see you tomorrow… okay?”   
  
“Right. Tomorrow,” Maki confirmed before passing along a socially reflexive, “Good work today.”   
  
Eli blinked and smirked at the slip, instantly looking far less beleaguered by the encounter. She offered a, “You too. Have a good night, Maki,” and walked away.   
  
Nozomi, whose expression had _not_ softened throughout the encounter, stepped into Maki’s space as soon as Eli rounded the corner. Nozomi’s unusually critical expression all the sharper with the combination locks pressing into Maki’s back. In a low voice so as not to draw any unnecessary attention, she said, “She’s only trying to help, you know.”   
  
Maki refused to look away, but was at a loss on how to respond. Just as well since Nozomi was far from finished. “That’s what friends do… and Maki-chan has a lot of people _trying_ to be good friends to her. _Not_ because of her name… and _not_ because they want her to make music for them. You understand that… right?”   
  
While there was a desire to point out that might not be entirely accurate, its argument didn’t feel true enough to push. Maki nodded, still schooling her expression and biting back temper that she knew was _entirely_ unreasonable. Nozomi continued, even lower, “It’s not just Rin either. We’ve all seen you struggle. Maki-chan should rely on her friends a little more… and that doesn’t just mean snuggling with your girlfriend.”   
  
Why was she so mad about this? These were words of support. Caring. Friends she’d been craving for years, addressing things that had weighed on her for just as long. This rage didn’t make any sense… but she still gave in to the desire to say _something_ to fight back. Not that admitting, “She’s the only reason I get as much sleep as I do these days,” was in _any_ way a good idea.   
  
In an instant, Nozomi lost her stern “serious friend” vibe. She immediately donned her ‘Juiciest of Gossip’ expression, crossing her arms and grinning as she replied, “Oh? Is that right? Is little Niccochi tucking Maki-chan in every night? I’m surprised! I would have guessed it’d be hard to sleep with…”   
  
She trailed off and her expression faltered a little. Just as well, because Maki’s face had decided to fully betray her. The earlier anger blossomed into an inferno of embarrassment and now her cheeks were _burning_ .   
  
For whatever reason, Nozomi backed off and placed a few pats on her head which would normally have felt condescending… but at the moment was simply a relief that the topic had been dropped. She finished with a simple, “Let us be there for you,” and walked away… not following Eli, but walking straight to the stairs, pulling Nico out from behind them by the ear, and marching off down the hall.

  


* * *

**Toujou Nozomi**

  
  
“Ah. Nicocchi. A word?” Nozomi asked as she rounded the corner, claiming the shorter girl’s ear and barely managing to wink at Kotori to suggest everything was alright. It was hard, because everything was _not_ alright. She pulled Nico away, who put up only the barest fight as she flailed and protested the vicious handling.  
  
Well… that’s fine. Nozomi was feeling a little vicious.  
  
1-C was empty at a glance, so Nozomi pulled extra hard to get Nico in front of her and then shoved her in, following and shutting the door behind her.  
  
“What’s the big idea!?” Nico railed, covering her ear and glaring, “That hurt!”  
  
“Level with me,” Nozomi shot back, ignoring the complaint, “Are you sleeping with Maki-chan?”  
  
Nico stared, her expression shifting immediately from indignation to horror, then back to irritated, “What!? What are you talking about!?”  
  
Nozomi stepped in as she’d earlier done to Maki, pinning Nico between a desk and herself, “Sex, Nicocchi.  I’m talking about sex. Are you?”  
  
This was bad. Why did Nico have to be _right there_ when the dots finally connected?  She was _way_ too irate to be bringing this up so soon after forcing herself not to snap at Maki for snapping at Eli.  
  
Social circles were _way_ more work than expected.  
  
“Why… what makes you… why would you…?” Nico critically failed, telling Nozomi more clearly than if she’d just answered honestly to begin with.  
  
Now Nozomi’s finger was poking Nico in the sternum. She harsh-whispered, “ _Nico!_ She’s _sixteen._ She’s _just a first year_! What are you _doing!?_ ”  
  
Any shame that had started to show on Nico vanished in an instant. The smaller girl’s voice matched Nozomi’s anger as she fired back, thankfully in an equally quiet manner, “What does _that_ have to do with anything!? … and for _that_ matter, how is that _any_ of your business!?”  
  
Nozomi grit her teeth, not expecting Nico to have the gall to take either of those routes. Having far too much tension to hold still, Nozomi ticked off on her fingers, “She’s my _kouhai_ , you’re _both_ my friends, and this is _serious._ I don’t want _either_ of you hurt over this and in case you’ve _forgotten_ , the cards haven’t been exactly _promising_ for her when it comes to the two of you!”  
  
“I _know that!”_ Nico railed, fists tight at her sides and her voice infuriatingly resolute, “But _that_ news came _way_ too late to do anything about _this._ How does the us sleeping together make _any_ difference with that?”  
  
Nozomi had to step back or she was going to strangle her. Hands gesturing wildly, Nozomi replied, “Too late?! Because she’s _only sixteen!_ You’re a _third year!_ _How is this confusing!?”_ _  
__  
_ Nico was shaking. Fists balled at her sides and… yup… tears welling in those angry angry eyes. She should have expected this ferocity, given how Nico tended to be about her passions, but… it was still hard to see. Nico was clearly struggling to keep her voice down as she ground out, “Because _that_ doesn’t _matter!_ She’s one of the most mature, put-together people I’ve ever met!”  
  
“That may be, but she’s _still_ just sixteen!” Nozomi pressed, hands at temples, “When _I_ was sixteen, I barely knew what I wanted! When _you_ were sixteen, you were still all wide-eyed ribbons and sparkles!”  
  
“When **_I_** was sixteen,” Nico interrupted, even more incensed, “I was helping raise three kids, still heartbroken because Papa died, hugging Mama every night because _her_ world was falling apart, and getting my dreams stomped on by some goddamn _hobbyists!_ Just because I didn’t come _crying_ to you about everything doesn’t mean I was _half_ as happy as I probably looked!”  
  
That caught Nozomi short. Before she could properly form her counter, Nico continued, “Even with all that, I _still_ think Maki-chan’s got a harder deal! I _chose_ to step up and stop being a kid. I don’t think that girl’s had a chance to be carefree since half-way through primary school! I had the kids! I had Mama! I had you an’ Eli, even if I didn’t lean on you that much. I had the ladies at the shrine and my idols!”  
  
Nico stepped away from the desks and stepped toward her. The balance had shifted in her favor and Nozomi couldn’t get a word in. She was too thrown off by so much raw honesty, a rarity from Nico, as the girl continued, “She’s only had a friendly house-keeper, a piano, and more expectations than I can even _imagine!_ She’s seen things in that hospital that make me feel sick to hear about and she talks about it like it’s no big deal. Maki-chan’s not just some sixteen-year-old kid. She’s _incredible_ … and I can tell that being with me is _helping_ her… not hurting her.”  
  
“How long?” Nozomi edged in, somehow even _more_ worried than before as she suspected the answer, “When did you two start… being physical?”  
  
Nico glared for a long moment before admitting, “The first night. When I took her home after we found her in the hallway.”  
  
Nozomi hid her face in her hands and groaned, pacing past Nico to sit on a desk in the front row. This was worse than she thought… by _orders_ of magnitude. As she tried to wrap her mind around how to proceed, Nico continued, “Wait, why are you asking for details? What the heck, Nozomi?”  
  
“Just a second,” Nozomi sighed, standing to circle around the desk so she could sit properly, “Sit with me?”  
  
Her palms still pressed into her eyes, she only heard Nico frump and oblige, taking the desk next to her. Good. She was still willing to listen. She hadn’t scared her off. That in itself was concerning. On some level, she must know that she needs to talk to _someone_ about this. After a few more moments of plotting out how to proceed, Nozomi asked, “Who… initiated?”  
  
The lack of response was just as telling as Nico’s earlier fumbling. Nozomi stopped rubbing her eyes so she could watch Nico properly… and the girl was fidgeting.  
  
“I... I did… I guess…”  
  
“You sound unsure,” Nozomi prompted, finally finding her center and the right emotional state to settle into for this.  
  
“We were both pretty charged… it’d… been a long day. We both had been through a lot… but Nozomi, you’ve never seen Maki-chan like she was that night. She was so… sweet. Good with the kids…”  
  
“When I left that day,” Nozomi reminded, “She was barely coherent. She was so tired that she could barely sit up straight.”  
  
“She got better through the evening,” Nico defended, “She played Cotaro’s dinky little piano for them... and then later Papa’s old Casio. She was funny… and really flirty.”  
  
“Flirty?” Nozomi continued, “Maki-chan?”  
  
“ _Really_ flirty,” Nico confirmed, her tone far calmer now. Affectionate even, “She… said things. Things no one’s ever said to me before.”  
  
“So… she flattered you and then you two…?”  
  
_“No!”_ Nico grumbled… and then deflated, “It… wasn’t like that.”  
  
“Then… what was it like, Nicocchi?” Nozomi eased, “I’m worried about you two, but… I could always be wrong.”  
  
She was pretty sure she wasn’t, but that wasn’t going to help get Nico talking. At the faux-admission, Nico slumped back in her chair and stared at the ceiling, “She saw right through me… but like… at the same time, she saw me different. She said I was nice. She thought all the stuff I was doing just because it’s the right thing to do made me… a good person. She... she said I was… she called me beautiful. Me. Not cute… _beautiful._ ”  
  
“Nicocchi… That’s,” Nozomi began, but was interrupted immediately.  
  
_“That’s a big deal for me, dammit!”_ Nico growled, slamming her fist on her desk and glaring, “You might not have _noticed_ , but I’m not… I’m not like _you…_ or Eli. I’m… not… but _she_ thinks I _am!_ ”  
  
The knot forming in Nozomi’s gut was justified as Nico continued, “I can’t even _kid_ about flirting with most people without it coming off as a joke. Hell, last time I tried with _you_ , you laughed in my face! Let’s be real here. I look like a scrawny little kid… but… for whatever reason, she doesn’t see me that way.”  
  
As Nozomi took a breath to reply, Nico warned, “... and don’t you _dare_ suggest that’s because _she’s_ ‘just a kid, herself.’”  
  
Nozomi was back to rubbing her eyes, elbows on desk and groaning, “I wasn’t. She _is_ just a kid, but that’s not why she said that. I’m sure Nicocchi is going to be _swarmed_ with fans very soon… and I’m sorry I laughed. But that’s not the point here. I get why you were so upset the next day on the roof. I don’t think either of you were ready for this.”  
  
“Wha?” Nico blinked, “What do you mean neither of us?”  
  
“You two rushed into this,” Nozomi sighed, raising just enough to rest her chin on her hands so she could stare at the board, “She was nearly incoherent with exhaustion. You’d been at your limit for weeks with Honoka starting µ's. You both latched on to each other after barely getting to know one another. I’m sure you’ve gotten to know each other a lot better since then, but it’s troublesome.”  
  
Nozomi turned her head so she could check on Nico, and found a very conflicted expression. She pressed on, “If you’re the first relationship she’s ever had… she’s _going_ to fall hard. You’re charismatic when you’re not trying so hard to prove yourself. These past few weeks showed me the best Nicocchi I’ve ever seen.”  
  
“Thanks?” Nico asked, still thoroughly irritated but still listening.  
  
“She’s already dependant on you,” Nozomi sighed, “She’s latched on _hard._ Elicchi and I just talked to her about taking things a little easier to avoid burnout. I thought she was going to start swinging any minute. I don’t think she was hearing anything from us except some mistaken idea that she take it easier on µ's work… and for her, µ's means you.”  
  
“I don’t think you’re right there,” Nico hedged, “µ's is all of us. She’s been like… _weirdly_ insistent about that.”  
  
Nico seemed lost in thought for a moment before asking, “She… got mad at you?”  
  
“About as mad as you were a minute ago. She was shaking and everything.”  
  
Nico frowned, going back to some kind of internalized argument that Nozomi really wanted to keep audible. Instead of letting the side topic stand, Nozomi went back to the main point with, “What about Nicocchi? Are _you_ okay with this?”  
  
“Obviously,” Nico shot back, “I don’t do what I don’t wanna do. You know that… I… _really_ like it.”  
  
An unexpected admission, and for some reason a suddenly very embarrassing one for Nozomi. She almost instantly lost her center at the flush in Nico’s cheeks and the naked affection in her voice. A feeling that got only worse as she expanded, “Maki-chan is… like her music. She’s so… _alive_. Vibrant. It’s like she only has that passion for three things... µ's, it’s music, and me. For everything else, she’s this absolute professional, but with me? With… all of us? She’s this awkward, goofy, tsun-as-all-hell adoration engine. I’ve heard her admit things I… I really wish I could share.”  
  
Nico slid to rest her cheek on the desk, tracing idle circles as she distantly continued, “So… yeah. I’m more than okay with this. I _know_ how hard Maki’s into me… and I _love_ it. Honestly? I don’t know which of us fell for the other worse. Better. Whatever.”  
  
“But… Nicocchi… th-”  
  
“Screw what the cards say,” Nico growled, eyes sharp again, “I’ll burn every card out there and destiny along with it. Maki-chan is _mine_ , and we’ll _have_ this amazing year… and every year after.”  
  
Nozomi wasn’t sure her eyes had ever been so wide. This… was way more intense than she’d expected from little miss stand-alone complex. Nico’s lazy circles were now claws against the faux grain of the desk. Her eyes uncharacteristically sharp. More impossibilities came as Nico admitted, “She acts like she finds me as irresistible as I think _she_ is. You made me _consider_ destiny. Maki-chan all but _confirms it_ for me. Seriously, come on. Romance? Me? Since when did I ever even consider something like that?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Nozomi deadpanned, successfully covering her continued shock, “I think this is the most honest Nicocchi’s been.”  
  
“You know,” Nico shrugged, “You’re not going to tell anyone that I’m not going to tell myself. With her? I’m thinking about… a future. A real one. Part of me _totally_ wants to just flunk out for two years straight so I can be here with her and RinPana, but that would slow down the _rest_ of the game plan. Maki-chan’s part of that plan now.”  
  
Nozomi was covering her face again. This still felt… dangerous. _Several_ points were just flying over Nico’s head… and given that her head was apparently in the clouds, that was an impressive feat.  
  
“It’s part of why I’ve been laying into you so much about Eli.”  
  
“This isn’t about us,” Nozomi warded, “This is about two of my friends jumping headlong into a _serious_ relationship they might not be ready for. It’s a first for both of you. I just don’t want to see either of your hurt.”  
  
Nico stood, crossed the distance, and leaned in with her most cocksure smile, “I used t’be jealous of you two. It drove me nuts. Two crazy cute girls that were best friends in love. Now? Now I just want you two to take that next step. Maki-chan and I are doing things backwards… I get that. We’re making up for lost time. You two? Whenever one of you gets the guts to just… go for it?”  
  
Nozomi continued to feel the conversation had been turned around as the smaller girl leaned in and whispered into her hair, “It’s going to be _amazing…_ and you’ll both _deserve it._ ”  
  
Nico stood, brushed off nonexistent dust from her skirt, and turned to walk away. Totally calculated. She turned and smirked at Nozomi’s flushed face, since not _everyone_ was apparently desensitized to physical affection, and left a parting shot of, “Take it from someone who _doesn’t_ have the setup you two do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find a secluded place to blow Maki-chan’s mind in~”  
  
Weakly, Nozomi fired back, “Not on school grounds, I hope! You’d _better_ not!”  
  
Nico’s laughter as she walked out just punctuated how utterly and completely Nozomi felt she had failed in the encounter…  
  
Was… she really wrong? Did Nico have the right idea?  
  
They… _did_ seem… happy…

 

\----- -----

  


“There you are,” Eli cheered, looking relieved as Maki twirled around, looking thoroughly embarrassed. Embarrassed and… coming right at her?  
  
Had it been Rin, Nozomi would have expected to have to catch a flying catgirl… with Maki? No clue. Fortunately, the redhead stopped short, brow high and furrowed, and bowed a little lower than was really appropriate.   
  
“I’m sorry… really. I overreacted…”   
  
Her conversation with Nico still echoing between her ears, Nozomi placated, “It’s fine. Really.”   
  
“No, really,” Maki insisted, looking somehow more frustrated than she had at the lockers, “I should know better.”   
  
“We get it,” Eli spoke up, sliding in behind the girl and resting her hands on her shoulders. Her eyes, however, were locked to Nozomi’s as she grinned at the display, “Though, if it would make you feel better, we could pass some council errands on to you.”   
  
That froze Maki up, which was kind of funny. Even more so with Eli’s grin widening by the moment.   
  
“Wouldn’t that… counter our earlier conversation?” Maki retreated, but looked to be at a loss for where to escape to.   
  
Feeling merciful and wanting to clear the room, Nozomi stepped back and advised, “We should probably let Maki-chan go. Nicocchi’s gonna need her help since I just beat her up pretty bad.”   
  
“Bueh!?” Maki started, wide-eyed and alarmed. Alarm that faded after Nozomi winked and assumed her washi-washi pose. It was a little sad that the redhead thought she would have actually roughed up the girl… and that the washi-intimidation factor could so quickly be eye-rolled away, but that was fine. It wasn’t supposed to be a scary thing anyway.   
  
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Maki-chan,” Eli dismissed, looking strangely triumphant and warm.   
  
“Tomorrow,” Maki nodded, also looking pretty happy… and then she was on her way. To do… whatever it was she and Nicocchi were going to do.   
  
“Is everything alright?” Nozomi asked, knowing that they were but hoping to delay the coming topic for just a little longer.   
  
“I think I learned a more about our little composer,” Eli shrugged, clearly in a stellar mood, “You didn’t _really_ beat up Nico, did you?”   
  
“No. Kind of the opposite, actually,” Nozomi admitted, slumping to the side to lean on the table.   
  
Stellar dropped in an instant, “What? Are you alright?”   
  
Where normally, the guilt she’d feel about enjoying Eli’s gentle probing would be slight and casually overpowered by enjoying the indulgence, now she couldn’t help but pout and bite her lip. Eli’s fingers were brushing back her hair and sliding up her arms. It wouldn’t be fair to let this continue with her head swirling as it was. She stopped Eli’s touches by grabbing her by the wrists.   
  
“Nozomi?”   
  
“It was nothing physical. I just had some things I needed to confirm with Nicocchi about Maki-chan.”   
  
“You mean their… relationship?”   
  
Nozomi nodded and continued, “I noticed something I think I’d suspected for a while and… I was worried.”   
  
“Something that made you want to beat her up?”   
  
Nozomi released Eli’s wrists and turned, padding to the door to lock it and triple Eli’s concern. It wouldn’t do for this to become an accidentally shared conversation… but as the lock clicked into place, Nozomi’s anxiety skyrocketed.   
  
“Nozomi?”   
  
“We need to talk. Have a seat?” Nozomi suggested with a nod toward her usual spot.   
  
“Okay…”   
  
“So, after you left, I teased Maki-chan a little about Nicocchi… and she really over-reacted…”   
  
“Maki? Over react? Really? I can’t imagine…,” Eli teased, her grin making a return.   
  
Cute. Not helping. “It’s _what_ she overreacted to.”   
  
“Okay?” Eli lightly replied, still seeming to not get it.   
  
“So I talked to Nicocchi about it… and I was worried…”   
  
“What, is Nico being a bad influence? Maki’s not neglecting her studies now, is she?” Eli laughed.   
  
“I… huh. I don’t know about that… but as we were talking, it got me thinking about something _else_ …”   
  
Eli seemed to be enjoying this _way_ too much. She leaned in, all smiles, and commented, “Wow, you’re saying a lot here without saying much at all. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”   
  
Nozomi couldn’t keep her cheeks from puffing out in frustration. This was serious! “It’s because this is important!”   
  
“Would a parfait help?” Eli offered in her remarkably cruelly kind way.   
  
“I can’t keep this behind locked doors then,” Nozomi groaned, “Just… listen for a minute, okay?”   
  
The plea seemed to take Eli a little off guard, so Nozomi continued, “I’m worried about them, but there’s only so much I can do without over-reaching… and Nicocchi made some good points. It got me thinking… and… uuuuugh.”   
  
She ran out of steam the instant she’d reached where she’d actually broach the topic, like every other time. She was pacing, her teeth were grinding, and she was looking everywhere _except_ her closest friend that frequently came over, had her own key to the apartment, cooked for her, welcomed her into her _own_ home, was wonderful, _beautiful_ , and was practically the cornerstone of her social world.   
  
Did she really want to put that at risk?   
  
“Nozomi?”   
  
… and now she sounded worried. Triple ugh. Anxiously, she reached for her cards, hoping they would suggest that this would be a good time to pull back again… but Eli’s hand caught her wrist on the way.   
  
“What did your talk with Nico make you think about?”   
  
Why did Eli look so at ease? Didn’t she know how much tension was in the air?   
  
“You can talk to me about it… if you want to.”   
  
“I want to…,” Nozomi admitted.   
  
“Would it be okay if I talk for a moment?” Eli offered, which was an absolute lifeline. Nozomi nodded gratefully, even as she had to avert her eyes as shame started to flood in.   
  
“I admit that I don’t know as much as you probably do about those two, but I think I’m happy for them. Nico _and_ Maki,” Eli began, her hand still on Nozomi’s wrist, “Sure Nico had us, but only so far. For whatever reason, she just couldn’t let her guard down all the way. Like we do.”   
  
Eli didn’t let go, but did step back to lean against the table as she continued, “Since they started whatever it is they’re doing, she’s been much happier. I might worry a bit more for Maki since this _is_ Nico we’re talking about, but it makes me feel better knowing she has something like we do.”   
  
Nozomi’s attention was zeroed in on Eli’s easy smile as she traced circles on her wrist and admitted, “Having someone you can share so much with changes things. It makes life so much more fun. Plus, this way, I can stop worrying so much when you two go off together.”   
  
“Eliichi worries?”   
  
“Maybe just a little,” Eli shrugs, “After all, Nozomi acts differently with Nico than she does me.”   
  
Now she was smiling too. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”   
  
“You never left me alone for long, so it all turned out fine,” Eli breezily waved away, “Besides, can you _imagine_ how much crap Nico would give me if I acted jealous over you two? She’d _never_ let me live it down.”   
  
“What… were you jealous of?” Nozomi chanced.   
  
“I’ve gotten used to having you all to myself. Plus, you rough house with her a lot more,” Eli grinned.   
  
That couldn’t mean what she thought it meant. Eli’s smile was infectious, so Nozomi continued to push her luck with, “What, are you saying you want a little washi-washi fortune telling?”   
  
“I’m just saying, it always felt a little strange that you’d play with _her_ that way but not _me._ It makes me wonder if I was too big for you or something.”   
  
The thought was visualized and the blush was intense. “It’s not like that,” Nozomi admitted, “It’s just… Eliichi is so easy to read in other ways…”   
  
Eli tugged on her wrist, pulling her closer and claiming her other wrist as she replied, “Well, you can see how I’d feel a little left out. Not that Nico looked like she enjoyed it or anything.”   
  
“She does squirm a lot,” Nozomi laughed, feeling lightheaded by the surreal encounter this was turning into, “It makes her _very_ easy to read, which is part of why I use that on her.”   
  
Eli pulled Nozomi’s hands to her hips and pressed them there, wordlessly suggesting that they stay as her own hands slid up Nozomi’s sleeves, “So, how does _that_ work? How do you read something like that? Walk me through it?”   
  
“R… right now?” Nozomi stuttered as Eli’s hands slid up to her shoulders.   
  
“Hmm… maybe you’re right,” Eli agreed, tapping her fingers and quirking her lips, “We _are_ at school… and that’s hardly appropriate behavior.”   
  
Before Nozomi could follow through with a tension-relieving sigh, Eli continued, “Maybe we could continue this at your place?”   
  
Nozomi’s face was at critical mass, and the only thing keeping her from pinching herself was that her hands were already occupied and Eli… didn’t look as confident as her voice suggested. She… she was taking a risk. This was actually happening.   
  
This was an offer.   
  
Nozomi swallowed, wanting to make absolutely certain, so she forced herself to ask, “Parfaits on the way? I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little warm.”   
  
Eli’s hands tightened, almost imperceptibly puling her closer as she replied, “If you’d like. I was actually thinking that I could stand to be a little warmer…”   
  
Oh...   
  
“Well then,” Nozomi managed, but only barely, “Let me get you home… I could… make you some tea?”   
  
Eli’s cheeks were flushing too when she replied, “I’d like that.”

  
  


* * *

**Author’s Notes:**

  


Well _that_ took a lot longer than expected. Between work and the comic, my writing time has been super sparse and crazy limited… and Berserker’s been eating up a lot of it.  
  
Originally, this was going to be a buildup to the Gala and the party itself, but too much kept piling on and then came the NozoEli. Also, Nico’s really doubling down. Especially given how little time has actually passed. We’ll see how the girls handle the magazine’s response that we all know is coming next time… _and_ hopefully get that gala in.  
  
Also, if you haven’t been following Blinkkittylove’s PhotoJazz, you should really give it a whirl. I’m totally hooked. If I had the time, I’d be drawing out some of those scenes, given how vivid it is.  
  
Posting this on the road on the way to Connecticon. Fingers crossed. Wish us luck~  <3 Hopefully there aren’t TOO many awful grammar issues in this.   
  



	16. Family Matters

 

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  


  
“Maaaaaaaaaki-chaaaaaaaa~n!~”   
  
Maki slowed down, turning with a look of confusion to watch her girlfriend  _ skipping _ her way. Nico didn’t just look happy. She looked  _ ecstatic. _ Thankfully, it was late enough that they were alone in the courtyard. Inwardly, she braced herself for the smaller girl to just… not stop and slam into her like Rin and occasionally Honoka had taken to doing. Fortunately, she just fell in step at her side and dropped a ‘sly’,  _ “Hey.” _ _   
_ _   
_ “... Hi,” Maki answered, unsure how Nico went from having Nozomi pull her ear off to looking like it was the best day ever.   
  
“So, I promised your Dad I’d be a bad influence. Wanna skip class, go back to your place, and scream into your pillow for a while?” Nico asked in a voice so cheerily casual that it took a second for the words to make any sense.   
  
Once they registered, Maki nearly tripped as her face volcano-blushed. A quick look around to confirm that Nico  _ hadn’t _ completely forgotten the concept of subtlety gave Maki the leave to reply quietly, and a little harshly, “What the hell, Nico!?”   
  
“Scream. Into your pillow. You know, like you do when I just keep going while y-”   
  
_ “I know what you meant,” _ Maki ground out, embarrassment rising, “What happened to meeting  _ after _ class?”   
  
“Oh, I figured we were still on for that. I just wanted t’let you know I’m  _ really _ looking forward to it,” Nico replied, still light and happy.”   
  
Responsible Maki replied, “Well…  _ yeah _ … but I can’t just skip. I was just lucky enough to be on the fresh end of my sleep cycle to catch up  _ last _ time I did that… I don’t want to do anything that would clue my parents in to what I’ve been doing…”   
  
“Me?” Nico teased, still all toothy grins and half lidded eyes.   
  
“ _ Skipping. _ Staying out late. Singing, dancing, and exercising while exhausted. The entire school idol thing. Being with you  _ like that _ ,” Maki explained, some of that taking the wind out of Nico’s sails.   
  
“You don’t want to let them know you’re an idol?”   
  
Inwardly, Maki groaned, having long avoided this point of conversation. She gave in and explained as clinically as possible, “Okay... I’ve been thinking. It’s kind of like this. Idols and Doctors are like the two halves of a healthcare. Two completely separate skill-sets and social expectations required to provide their fields of care to their patients.”   
  
Intrigued, Nico nodded for Maki to continue, “I’ve started thinking of it this way. Idols heal the heart. Emotional support and stress relief. Endorphin rushes and giving a face to that sympathy you find in a good song. It’s part of why I like Umi’s lyrics so much. They’re… encouraging. Uplifting.”   
  
“It’s okay, Maki-chan can admit which idols are healing  _ her _ heart~” Nico teased.   
  
Leaning heavily on the explanation to ignore the heat in her face, Maki continued, “Then there’s the doctor’s side. Care for the body. Established, peer-documented medical technique. Bring them together and you have a happy, healthy base to work from. Idols wear eye-catching, brightly colored costumes to catch the eye. Doctors… don’t.”   
  
“Well… you’re an idol now, with the plans of being a doctor  _ later _ , right?” Nico edged back in.   
  
“Not sure I’m either yet,” Maki smirked, “Not until that video goes out, anyway. Doing this is… risky.”   
  
“Riskier than the time you made Nico take risqué couple pictures in the Purikura last week?” Nico fired back, clearly trying to steer the conversation, and her, back home.   
  
_ “Riskier,” _ Maki pressed, “Things are kind of tense right now with Goichi trying to usurp Mama. He’ll use any evidence that I’m not committed to eventually inheriting the hospital that he can to leverage against her… he already tried doing that with just the piano… and if it wasn’t for Grandmother herself getting me started, it probably would have worked.”   
  
It looked like she was finally starting to get Nico to understand her angle. Her expression was a lot more serious as she asked, “So… all of this could…”   
  
“Blow up. Badly,” Maki nodded, “I’m… really kind of terrible for going ahead and doing all of this anyway.”   
  
“Maki-chan… part of being an idol is a reach for fame,” Nico frowned, “That means… it’d be really clear to anyone paying attention what you’re doing. Are you telling me that if µ's succeeds, your future could be in trouble?”   
  
“No,” Maki frowned, “Well, I mean, it  _ could _ be… but I won’t let it.”   
  
“How?” Nico asked, her mood seeming to be completely shifted to serious.   
  
“... I don’t know yet,” Maki admitted, “... but I’m committed. I  _ want _ to write this music. I want  _ you _ to sing and dance to my songs… and since all of you want me on stage with you, how could I say no? It can’t be helped.”   
  
“I… didn’t really… you can write without…”   
  
“Funny how you get it now, after I’ve made up my mind,” Maki dug before sticking out her tongue, “Honestly, µ's has been great for me. I used to have to bang away on the piano for hours to get the same kind of exhaustion a practice session can do. I’ve slept more this past month than I think I have in the past year.”   
  
“That’s… is that good?”   
  
“If I had the energy,” Maki teased, coming back around now that Nico was thoroughly on the ropes, “... then you wouldn’t be sleeping either.”   
  
Nico gasped, latching onto the jab like a lifeline, “But Nico needs her beauty sleep!”   
  
“Then wait for me after class. Maybe  _ I’ll _ be the one knocking  _ you _ out.”   
  
“It’s… not a competition, you know?”   
  
“That’s just because it’s no contest,” Maki preened, flipping her hair with a narrow grin.   
  
“Only because you  _ bite, _ ” Nico sulked.   
  
“It’s your fault for smelling like strawberries all the time,” Maki breezily replied.

  
  
  


* * *

**Toujou Nozomi**

  
  


Nozomi was in a pickle.   
  
“So I’ve already messaged Alisa. She knows not expect me tonight. She says hi, by the way.”   
  
No… wait, she was clearly in the Twilight Zone. In this new dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity, caught between light and shadow, science and superstition, and left to stew in her pit of fears while being led by the hand of the summit of knowledge. It would take something as grand as imagination to suddenly find herself in a world where Nicocchi was sleeping around with cute first years and Elicchi was seeking instruction on the… “fine art” of the washi-washi.   
  
“How stocked is your kitchen right now? Do we need to do any shopping before stopping home? If so, I could treat you to some pelmeni. That might be fun.”   
  
Honestly, she was afraid of saying  _ anything _ at this point. Clearly she’d fallen asleep in class, this was a dream, and she  _ really  _ wanted to see where this one went. The lead-up was a little long, and way more winding than the usual fantasy, but it  _ felt _ real enough to want to see through.   
  
“I’m actually inclined to do that regardless… you don’t mind do you?”   
  
Oh good, a nonverbal response would do. Nozomi affirmed inaudibly and swallowed. Her head was swimming  _ way _ too much for this to be a dream. Elicchi’s hand was too warm. She had an itch in a place she’d never think of while dreaming. The person who just passed by was kind of smelly. The blast of A/C as they entered the grocer’s was too much of an offense in this weather to be imagined.   
  
So… yeah… this was really… actually happening.   
  
“How about dessert? Anything? I know what I said about getting warmer, but I’m thinking ice cream.”   
  
Nozomi answered without thinking, “I still have a lot of the fixin’s from last time.”   
  
“Excellent,” Eli answered crisply, “Now… what for a side dish… we’ll need  _ some _ kind of vegetable…”   
  
“Y’don’t need to on my account,” Nozomi slipped in, feeling control of her facial features returning.   
  
“You’re  _ getting _ vegetables,” Eli chided, giving Nozomi a stern look which inspired a wide smile.   
  
Shopping moved pretty uneventfully from there. Idle chatter layered over the suggestive conversation in the council room. Avoiding the edges of chance and sticking with smooth easy familiarity. Pelmeni, onions, green onions, and leeks. Sides of miso and rice. Their breath would be something else after this, but she’d have plenty to tease Elicchi over after.   
  
Rather than hold hands, they each took one end of the bag. Sagawa-san from the shrine was on her way in and waved as they passed. Her kids were settling in fine at their new primary school. Eli was scouted once more for shrine duties. They saw a cat that nuzzled Elicchi’s leg and Nozomi could  _ swear _ winked at her.   
  
No mail, silent elevator, easy confident Elicchi smile. Less tension, but Nozomi’s balance in their conversational power dynamic was still wildly off. Her guard was broken and her key failed to find the lock no less than four times. Elicchi’s blazer was already half unbuttoned and she’d already confirmed that her spare workout outfit was still where she’d left it. Bag in the corner, nestled by the dresser.   
  
Her heart was thundering as Eli let go of the bag and ‘tadaima’d her way on in. There were three days worth of dishes in the sink that she  _ knew  _ Eli would pick on her over, but for now she had to get these groceries in her fridge. She tapped the zojirushi water heater and looked for a calming loose leaf blend. She  _ needed _ some calm. Nicocchi’s own situation was enough to put her off balance. Elicchi’s maybe-teasing was a full concentration smasher.   
  
She’d forced herself to look away as the other girl shrugged off her blazer. She refused, as usual, to watch her unbutton and switch… though doing so had never been quite so hard. She shuffled through her scattered boxes without actually seeing for the twelfth time as she heard Eli clear her throat. She was leaning against the kitchen counter separating the cooking area from the rest of the apartment. Almost fully changed… but… something was very blatantly missing.   
  
“So… I don’t know if it makes any difference,” Eli began, her voice uncertain for the first time this evening, “... but I thought if you were going to get a good reading on me, maybe I shouldn’t have the bra in the way.”   
  
Nozomi blindly pulled a box of genmaicha as her arms went slack, slapping the box down and actually having to back up a step as her face grew critically warm. She tried. She really did. She tried to keep her eyes on Eli’s, but instead she told Eli’s chest, “It… wouldn’t make much of a change either way. You’re… reading the reaction. Not the… ahh...”   
  
“Oh,” Eli retreated. She looked embarrassed, crossing her arms and quietly muttering, “ _ derr`mo. _ ”   
  
_ That _ was rare… Eliichi  _ never _ swore, let alone in her grandparent’s language. The desire to bring Eli relief  _ finally _ overpowered Nozomi’s anxiety. Elicchi  _ clearly… irrefutably  _ wanted something to happen here. Her cheeks were getting as heated as Nozomi’s felt… and before she could overthink, she started stepping closer.   
  
“You see,” Nozomi began, her voice inheriting the confidence of instruction, “Most fortune telling is just observation.” Good. Eli was watching and listening. She continued, “It doesn’t require real magic to get a feel for someone by their words, expressions, and reactions.”   
  
“Right now, Elicchi is feeling embarrassed. That’s easy…  _ anyone  _ could figure that one out… so let’s look  _ deeper,”  _ Nozomi continued with her old relied-upon flair, “ _ Why _ is Elicchi so embarrassed?”   
  
“That’s easy, I’m a little exposed here,” Eli pouted… though thanks to a guilty glance, Nozomi could tell there was definitely some excitement there too.   
  
“We’ve changed around each other quite a bit, Elicchi,” Nozomi continued, walking the wire and desperately clinging to her performance stance. Ride that fake confidence. “We even went to the baths together… and while that was a little embarrassing too, Elicchi didn’t turn  _ this _ red.”   
  
“Mou…” Eli pouted.   
  
“No, I think Elicchi is embarrassed because of something else,” Nozomi led on, building the courage to walk past, turn sharply, “... Yup! Elicchi was embarrassed because she thought I wouldn’t try  _ this!” …  _ and  _ go for it.  _ _   
_ _   
_ Eli froze under her grasp. Back rigid, sharp intake of breath, a retaliatory reflex that was immediately restrained.  _ Supple _ , nowhere near as firm as she’d expected… but still full. Familiar, but wonderfully new. Twin points stiffening under her palms. She pressed in further and gave the premium service squeeze, “Elicchi’s been holding back a lot lately. There’s tension she’s been struggling with that she’s been covering up with work, work, and more work. That said, she’s had enough fun lately to realize she misses playing…”   
  
“A full life, but amazing potential. The only one holding you back is yourself,” Nozomi finished as she regrettably loosened her grip.   
  
… but then Eli’s hands were on hers, pressing back in. Fingers curling over her own to keep her in place. Eli’s eyes were aimed forward as she demanded, “Is that all? Is… that all you see?”   
  
“Like I said, Elicchi,” Nozomi breathed, entirely too swept up to maintain the game, “The only one holding you back is yourself…”   
  
The taller girl turned. Her hands on Nozomi’s cheeks, locking eyes and asking, “I don’t want to hurt anyone… I don’t want to hurt you.”   
  
“You wouldn’t,” Nozomi assured, eyes wide, barely able to breathe, “... as long as you do what makes  _ you _ happy.”   
  
… and then Eli’s eyes were closed. Her lips crossed the distance.   
  
… and Nicocchi was right… it  _ was _ amazing.

  
  
  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  
  


It was a good thing that the arcade console obscured her opponent’s view of her. It wouldn’t do for an idol to be caught with such a scowl. Particularly when laying such a precisely executed smackdown on an opponent in ArcReverb 2… no one who is dominating so clearly should look so dour.   
  
This wasn’t working. It wasn’t taking her mind off of the issue at hand  _ at all _ . No amount of perfect blocks or triple-roman counter supers could drive Nozomi’s reaction or the following conversation with Maki out of her head. As her avatar danced it’s victory jig, Nico stood, circled the machine, offered a nod and thanks for the match as well as offer her seat to the defeated boy, citing running behind for a previous engagement.   
  
Man… even the flustered blush and wandering eyes did  _ nothing _ to brighten this gloom. Nico flashed both him and her favorite worker a smile on her way out as she shoved her hands into her blazer and prowled toward Kotobukiya to burn some more time until Maki was freed from her cram class responsibilities.   
  
As much as Maki claimed that being  _ literally  _ driven into the ground with exhaustion was somehow a good thing, Nico just couldn’t see how. While she’d only seen Maki reach the critically exhausted state she’d seen during their first meeting one time since… all things considered, that wasn’t very long ago.   
  
How the hell does someone juggling that sort of condition maintain grades like hers? Or, for that matter, create so much quality music at such an insane pace? It’s like the stoic girl was a high-octane furnace beneath those beautiful sleepy eyes.   
  
Sure, obviously only a truly incredible person would be able to pull her from the malaise her life had become, grab her heart, and stoke the fires of her dreams... but… seriously. How much was too much?   
  
Nico walked past Kotobukiya toward Kanda Myojin. It’d be tough to not get roped into helping out for the rest of the day, particularly with Nozomi otherwise occupied, but she needed some perspective. Maybe even some help. The stairs were steep as always, and the crowd was it’s usual milling bustle, but a quick hand-wash, coin toss, and bell ring later… her turmoil was left to simmer. The only thing she could think to pray for was to find some way to keep her gracefully awkward lover happy and healthy.   
  
… and wasn’t  _ that _ a trip. She’d only other people she ever prayed for was family… which she supposed Maki could already be counted as.   
  
A lingering look at the shrine, Nozomi’s advice to follow her heart and instincts when it came to spiritual things like this rang empty for the first time since she’d started this magical journey. All she could feel was helpless in the face of Maki’s insurmountable odds. She left the shrine, again leaving false smiles in her wake. She reached the stairs, started down, and realized her answer was just a bit later than expected in coming.   
  
RinPana and the second years were racing up the stairs, so focused on breathing and pacing that they didn’t notice her. The clouds in her heart cleared and she silently thanked the kami behind her for answering her prayer.   
  
“Nico-senpai!?” Honoka called out.   
  
“It’s about  _ time  _ you guys showed up,” Nico called back, unbuttoning her blazer as she bluffed, “Nico thought she was going to have to practice up here all alone!”

  
  


\------ ------

  
  


… and it was always easy to forget just how  _ in shape _ some of these girls were. Umi and Rin were true monsters. Long distance sprinters. Impossibilities. She and Honoka were a bit more on par with one another, with Kotori and Hanayo quickly closing the gap. Right now? They were a big sweaty pile of girls sharing random bits from their feeds with one another as they came up.   
  
“I was really surprised to see you here,” Honoka admitted, laying back with her head resting on Nico’s lap, “I totally forgot that we told you!”   
  
“That’s because you  _ didn’t,” _ Nico grumbled, flicking the girl’s forehead lightly, “... Though you really should have.”   
  
“You’re usually busy,” Hanayo minded, somehow coping well with Rin practically draped over her back as she watched the girl browse.   
  
“Also, this wasn’t planned,” Umi chided, finally settling down at Nico’s other side, opposite Kotori who had Honoka’s legs draped over her lap.   
  
Kotori pipped in, “We were all surprised when we realized we all had some free time. I’m glad we ran into you… is Toujou-senpai around?”   
  
Nico smirked at that, “Nope. Haven’t seen her, which is pretty rare for around here.”   
  
“She  _ does _ seem to like the shrine maiden look,” Honoka sighed happily, re-capping her drink, “... and for good reason too!”   
  
“I bet Umi-chan would look  _ lovely _ in shrine maiden garb,” Kotori gushed.   
  
“It’s a nice change of pace once in a while,” Nico agreed, “I’m not here anywhere near as much as Nozomi, but I still pitch in once in a while.”   
  
“Really?” Honoka asked, sounding inordinately impressed.   
  
“I would never have guessed,” Umi pressed, also sounding proud by proximity and somehow stoking her pride.   
  
“Nico has many layers,” Nico boasted before noncommittally adding, “You all should give it a try.”   
  
“I’ve considered it before,” Umi admitted.   
  
“ _ You _ definitely should,” Nico assured, “You, Kotori,  _ and _ Honoka. I know they’d be thrilled.”   
  
“Eh? Why?” Kotori asked.   
  
“They’re happy to take in most anyone for volunteers, but you three are kind of local celebrities,” Nico explained matter-of-factly before pointing to Umi, Kotori, and Honoka in-turn, “ _ Your _ family always has great offerings for the shrine,  _ Your _ Mom  _ literally _ runs Otonokizaka which is where all their grandkids went, and  _ your _ family’s sweets are  _ always _ in stock in the office.”   
  
“I’ve never had anything from Homura yet, nya~” Rin perked, “We should go get some!”   
  
Umi frowned at Honoka who immediately perked up at the suggestion, “That wouldn’t be very productive toward maintaining our diets…”   
  
“Diets or Dango,” Honoka offered to the group.   
  
“Diet,” Umi stressed firmly.   
  
“Vetoed,” Nico interrupted with a grin, “Nico, as club president, is pullin’ rank on this one. Team building exercise at Homura!”   
  
“Dango! Dango Nya!” Rin cheered, nearly bowling over Hanayo who she was still flopped over.   
  
Umi pouted Nico’s way but lightened up as the smaller girl turned her grin her way. Nico assured, “You’ll just have to work us extra hard next time, right?”   
  
“I suppose given that this was an unplanned session I can allow it,” Umi sighed.   
  
“Umi-chan!” Kotori cheered.

  
  
  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  


Suppressing a yawn, Maki double-checked to make sure she’d noted the appropriate home assignment. Despite how much more sleep she was getting lately, there was so much more happening every day that she still felt tapped. She caught herself jotting down dates from the wrong lines no less than seven times over the course of the evening.   
  
That wouldn’t do at all.   
  
She’d have to caffinate and pop some boosters if she’d get anything else done tonight.

 

She packed away her books, walked out, and offered a nod to her teacher who looked just as weary as she felt. While most of the class looked relieved just to be vacating the room, Maki felt heartened knowing who would be waiting for her not far from the exit. She buttoned her Otonokizaka blazer as she walked and tried to fit this additional workload into her assessment for her schedule.   
  
Eli’s concern made sense… these numbers just weren’t adding up. Even  _ with _ taking her old sleep (or lack thereof) schedule into account. She’d have to budge on  _ something. _ The question was what.   
  
Maki blew out a breath as she left the building. No sun. A little chill still persisting despite Spring having been in season for a while now. It’s bite helped her focus, chasing off the laziness the overheated classroom had seeped into her limbs. Once her gaze returned to the street level, Maki let a smile slip through. Nico was across the way, waving a pair of dango sticks. A quick glance down both lanes preceded a hastened pace. Maki crossed with purpose, eyes locked on the best addition to her schedule.   
  
“Good work today,” Nico offered.   
  
“I’m not done yet,” Maki shrugged, accepting one of the two sticks, “Thanks. What’s the occasion?” She took a bite without waiting for the answer. Sugar was no caffeine, but it was better than nothing… oh and these were  _ good. _   
  
“Ran into RinPana and the second years. We ended up at Homura. Did you know Honoka has a little sister?” Nico breezily answered, “As much as I’d like t’take credit, that’s from your not-secret admirer.”   
  
Maki smirked. The happy turn to her evening left Maki with a playful streak, so she teased, “You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Ms. Number One Idol. If you make me start guessing, you’ll develop a complex.”   
  
“Ooh, harsh. Very nice. On point for your character,” Nico answered, completely unaffected, “Umi’s suggestion, Honoka’s treat, my backup insistence. If it wasn’t already getting so late they’d be here too. I think they felt guilty leaving you out. If Hanayo hadn’t insisted they head out when she did, Rin’d probably be here too.”   
  
Maki finished chewing another bite and swallowed it with the thrill of knowing she was missed before answering, “Nozomi and Ayase-senpai were there as well?”   
  
“I actually haven’t heard from them since leaving school,” Nico shrugged, “Probably student council stuff. They get pretty busy. You can relate.”   
  
“Yes,” Maki agreed as she battled another yawn, “Yes I can.”   
  
After they finished their snacks and Nico stowed away the remaining sticks, they started Maki’s commute home. It wasn’t long before Nico commented, “Don’t take this the wrong way… but you look beat.”   
  
“I  _ feel _ beat. I didn’t tell you, but I snapped at Ayase-senpai earlier. Just a little, but still.”   
  
The admission wasn’t what she’d intended to say, but there it was regardless. Rather than let Nico respond, Maki continued, “Both she and Nozomi caught me by the locker to tell me they were worried I was taking on too much. You know, right before Nozomi pulled you off to who knows where.”   
  
Nico tensed, “You saw that?”   
  
“I saw it. It was kind of cute. You flailed a lot.”   
  
“Nozomi wasn’t holding back!”   
  
“Nozomi let me know I was being mean before she did it. Thankfully Ayase-senpai wasn’t mad or anything. Just genuinely worried.”   
  
“Yeah,” Nico acceded, “Eli’s great like that. They’re both better at helping others more than themselves.”   
  
“Makes me even happier that they joined,” Maki commented, “So, did you spend the evening at Homura then?”   
  
“A little bit,” Nico answered vaguely, “Jealous?”   
  
“A little bit,” Maki teased, “I’ll have to go hang out without you sometime.”   
  
Nico straight-faced, “Don’t you think you got that turned around? You’re  _ supposed _ t’be jealous that they had  _ my _ time.”   
  
Maki found strength to combat her sleepiness in continued teasing, throwing in a little nonchalant hair-twirling as she added, “What? Did anything happen I  _ should _ be jealous about?”   
  
Nico just glared for a moment before redirecting, “You said earlier you weren’t done. Got a lot of homework?”   
  
Nico’s expression was holding on annoyed, giving Maki a hint of anxiousness that she’d pushed a little too hard. She simplified her original response to, “I do… are you sure you want to come over just to watch me work?”   
  
“Yup,” Nico chirped simply, relaxing once more, “Any of that time gonna be on music I can help with or am I resuming my tour of Maki’s Greatest Hits?”   
  
“Maybe later, but I have a lot of reading to take notes on. I’m not as familiar about this period as I’d like and I have an essay to turn in later this week that I haven’t started,” Maki admitted. She tried to make sure her tone suggested she’d rather do other things, which Nico offered a sympathetic pout to.   
  
“You sure I’m not going to be a distraction?”   
  
“I might want a distraction in a few hours…”   
  
“Yikes,” Nico deadpanned, “Nico will have to make her Maki-chan some coffee.”   
  
Maki tried not to crinkle her nose too much when she answered, “As long as it actually has coffee in it this time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were out of cream and sweetener from the last time... “   
  
Nico turned it to eleven as she pointed to her cheeks and cheerily replied, “Nico can’t help if everything Nico Nico-touches turns just as sweet as Nico!~”   
  
Maki groaned, smiling despite herself, “Gross.”   
  
“Maaaaaaki-chan just needs her sweet tooth awakened~ Yazawa Nico’s on the case! Nico’ll brighten up your day, your smile,  _ and _ your coffee with Nico’s Nico-Nico-Whipped Cream Special!~ Just three chants of Koi Koi Kyun will charge any bitter thing with Nico’s lovey sweetness!”   
  
Maki had to cover her face, knowing there’d be no reprieve since there was no one else in range of hearing, “Oh God…”   
  
Nico piled on the saccharine as she gushed and pantomimed, “Nico-chan’s lovu-love you koi koi kyun powers will put your heart in shock! It’s a good thing Nico-Nii’s so good at melting hearts too, so Maki-chan doesn’t get too excited~ She’s got so much to do tonight, so she can’t get  _ too _ distracted~”   
  
“Stoooooooooop!” Maki laughed, face red and absolutely incapable of looking Nico’s way, “Too much! Too much!”

  
The silence that followed was a relief… but its suddenness with Nico in full swing was unusual. Maki chanced a look back just in time to see a woman in business casual smirking half a block down as she rounded a bend, her eyes lingering on the two of them. Nico kept pace, but looked pale.   
  
“You alright?”   
  
“... yeah,” Nico confirmed shakily, “Let’s just get home.”   
  
“Nico?”   
  
Nico swallowed, shook her head and countered, “It’s fine. This has just been a crazy day all around. I’m looking forward to just shutting in for the night.”   
  
“You’re spending the night then?” Maki asked, a little more hopeful than she may have intended.   
  
“... Sure. Yeah. That’d be good, as long as I’m not getting in your way.”   
  
“I’m kind of hoping you will,” Maki suggested, earning her a renewed (if tentative) Nico smile.

  
  
  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  
Nagisa.   
  
Nagisa Natsume.   
  
Out of the entire country, why the hell did her old senpai live along Maki’s commute home? Her older, ex-co-idol, ex- _ girlfriend, _ senpai who was three-quarters of the reason for her remaining insecurities and body image issues.  _ The same _ Nagisa, who eventually claimed that being affectionate with Nico squicked her out because of how  _ kidsy _ she was, just saw her fully belting out her idol persona to her  _ current _ girlfriend… who she’d just had rubbed in her face was just as much younger as Nico was when Nagisa was pseudo-courting  _ her. _   
  
As Maki clacked away on her essay, Nico tapped at her phone. The noise cancellation headphones playing nothing to distract her from her four-times re-written reach-out to the two people who would remember, only one of which having the appropriate context.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Nagisa Natsume apparently lives along Maki-chan’s commute home. She saw us. She smirked. I’m kind of freaking out a little.   
  
She’d deleted the final admission for three of those re-writes, but since they were all idols together now that kind of omission was no longer necessary. She hugged her knees as she leaned back into Maki’s pillows, squishing Tomomi to her chest and redirecting her gaze to her studious girlfriend’s back.   
  
Maki was wearing headphones of her own, having already proven that she’d turn at the slightest auditory provocation. Any hint of a reaction to her personal playlist was important to her… so Nico felt less bad about postponing her tour through the girl’s musical history. Maki’s headphones were also apparently silent. Something about knowing how music works making listening mesh terribly with reading since it was like reading two things at once?   
  
Weird. Beautiful. Brilliant. Her Maki. Her Maki that loved, craved, and adored her.   
  
Nico let the text fly. She groaned and rested her forehead on her knees. Stupid Nagisa didn’t matter. At all.  _ Especially  _ now.   
  
**_Especially_ ** now.   
  
… so why did seeing her drop her heart into the arctic and grind steel wool against the blackboard of her spine?   
  
No response via text. Either they were busy or had their ringers still silenced from class. The thought of them being busy  _ together _ was a breath of fresh air in this stifling turmoil she was wrestling with.   
  
She needed to  _ do _ something. Maki was busy and Nico didn’t want to add to her girlfriend’s strained workload by distracting her. Hugging Tomomi tighter, Nico swiped her way to an earlier chat with Hanayo.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** So I was just sitting here, and it occured to me that you might not realize how awesome you are.   
  
If she can’t make herself feel better, she’d do the next best thing.    
  
Be an idol.   
  
Make others smile.   
  
Always the best medicine.   
  
Always.   
  
  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  


It was hard not to feel proud.

  
She’d spent the past two hours studiously ignoring anything that wasn’t in front of her. A first draft of her essay summarizing the Nara period was wrapped up and she only had five trig problems left that she felt confident she could wrap up during homeroom. All her reading was finished too, which was a good thing given that she was so antsy she could burst!   
  
The clock suggested she had at least a few more hours before her parents would be home. That meant at least a few test runs of her new take on Yuujou No Change and maybe… just maybe a little snuggling before trying to get to sleep. Maki definitely felt tired… exhausted even… but with all of the thoughts, sounds, and visuals swimming in her head now that her concentration laxed, she knew this wouldn’t likely be a sleeping night.   
  
At least she’d have Nico right there. No-sleep nights tended to send her into a depression tailspin… so having a visual reminder of how good things were going might help prevent that.   
  
Maki made a show of pulling off her headphones, shaking her hair out, and stretching. A real yawn slipped out as she wheeled her chair around to find that Nico had let her hair down, had been playing some sort of rhythm game on her phone, and had let that game go ignored as she watched Maki’s little show.   
  
A nice self-esteem booster.   
  
“It’s about time,” Nico smirked, “Nico thought she was going to starve!”   
  
Maki narrow-grinned back, baring her teeth as she replied, “Oh? Nico-chan wants to get a bite?”   
  
At that, Nico abandoned her phone, rolled off the bed, and held her hands out to ward off the suggested assault, “Whoa, whoa. Hold on there, Nishikino Bitey…”   
  
Maki chomped audibly in response. She  _ genuinely _ loved that nickname. After a few threatening steps, she continued, “What?  _ I’m _ hungry too…”   
  
“Then let Nico heat up something for you?” Nico replied, continuing to back away toward the door, “Or a salad! It looked like Waki dropped off produce before she left, so…”   
  
Rather than respond verbally, Maki lowered her stance a little and double-chomped at her girlfriend who, in turn, eeped and ran. The perfect reaction. Before she realized it, Maki was chasing the shorter girl out into the hallway, evil laughter bubbling out despite herself. Nico squealed after seeing Maki give chase and bolted down the stairs.   
  
Nico was half way down the flight before Maki reached their top, taking three steps at a time. Maki, surging with mischief, wasn’t so gone as to try emulating this. Hand on the banister, she settled for two, but at a  _ much _ faster pace. They thundered down and as Nico disappeared around the bend, likely aiming for the kitchen, Maki hastened further. Naturally, she forgot to slow down enough at the end and had to catch herself against the wall before face-planting into it. She rolled to the side and barreled after her laugh-wailing target.   
  
“You’re not getting away!” Maki challenged as Nico disappeared into the kitchen. She knew that Nico’s options were now  _ very _ limited. Only the counter, the rear exit, and the laundry-room/sitting room loop around were left. The sitting room could be rough since she’d have to pull a 180 and quick to cut her off.   
  
Instead, as soon as Maki passed the threshold, Nico jumped at her, arms wide and roaring.   
  
Maki, genuinely caught off guard, shrieked in surprise and jumped back. Her momentum was at odds with this and sure enough she slipped and fell, dropping onto her rear and giggling uncontrollably from the rush of the chase. Nico took the opportunity to straddle her at the hip and pin her shoulders, proclaiming, “Got you!” before leaning down to blow a raspberry onto Maki’s neck, then her shoulder, then the other side of her neck as Maki thrashed and laughed in weak protest.   
  
It took a second, but Maki remembered her arms were free and she quickly set them to retaliating, drumming her fingers into Nico’s sides and playing her lower ribs like piano keys. Nico’s assault was dropped  _ immediately _ as she shrieked and laugh-scrambled away, scooting backwards and slipping as she found herself scooting over her own hair.   
  
“I give! I give up! Nico doesn’t have the energy for this!” she pleaded as Maki crawled toward her, grinning and play-chomping in her direction.   
  
“Just one?” Maki asked, breathless from all the laughing.   
  
Nico snorted and shook her head, “Fine. Just  _ one. _ Then food.”   
  
Maki’s crawling took on an intentional saunter as she caught up to the now sardonically smiling Nico. As she reached up and brushed the girl’s raven hair back, Nico rolled her eyes, but took a sharp breath as Maki’s thumb forced her chin higher.   
  
Maki leaned in, breathing deep as whispered an, “itadakimasu,” and pressed her lips to Nico’s throat. Pushing harder as they parted, she dragged her teeth along as she opened her mouth, tightening gently and scraping them slowly back together. She pinched the tiniest bit of skin right at the end before releasing and pecking at the likely unoffended spot apologetically before pulling back.   
  
Maki sat back, brushed her hair back over her shoulders and twirled confidently, “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now, what did you want to do for food?”   
  
Nico, at some point having started to flush a lovely pink, swallowed before replying, “Let me see what we have to work with. I… thought it might be a good time to start showing you how to kitchen.”   
  
“How to  _ kitchen? _ ” Maki laughed.   
  
“Definitely. If Nico doesn’t make sure Maki-chan’s hands are busy, they might slow things down instead.”   
  
Maki smiled in reply, “Nico-chan is probably right.”

  
  


\------- ------

  
  


Food was prepped, heated, plated, consumed, and cleaned up after. It was… a lot more work than Maki would have expected.  _ Far _ more time-intensive than seemed reasonable for such a simple and quickly devoured meal. Sure, a lot of those extra efforts made it taste better, but there was opportunity cost to balance. How much time should be dedicated to tastiness before one started experiencing significant diminishing returns?   
  
_ Obviously _ not something Maki had any intention of discussing with her girlfriend. Not at the moment anyway. In this case, the happiness Nico seemed to find in sharing the process  _ far _ outweighed any impatience at prep-time… and any time spent with her was generally better than without anyway.   
  
All of that aside, Maki was now in the process of turning that table around. Nico showed her a process, now Maki was paying it back… though it was a far less cooperative process to start with. Nico was surprisingly patient as Maki scrawled through a few pages of musical notation, content to just lean into her side.   
  
“So, the idea I wanted to pull from is that everyone sings the chorus lines, but instead of having one or two of us sing a stanza, we break it down to each of us having a turn per line… with some sentences being split up even further,” Maki explained, “It’ll help fill beats with the silence between as the next member picks up, lets us create more interplay between ourselves, and brings more attention to points that are really important.”   
  
“It also helps to push individuality. Our earlier songs  _ really _ need that to help establish favorites for the fans,” Nico agreed with a nod, “Especially if we’re going to eventually do sub-groups.”   
  
“Eh?” Maki quarter-turned, “Sub-groups?”   
  
“Later. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”

  
  


\------- ------

  
  


Not for the first time, Maki found herself wanting to see Nico take her idol persona in a different direction.   
  
Sure, Nico was cute. Unbelievably cute. When she turned on the idol juice, she went from sweet to toothache saccharine. This wasn’t the turn-off Maki would have expected, but it still triggered her second-hand embarrassment (as well as the first-hand variety for finding it so adorable in the first place).    
  
Maki never would have guessed that of all the ‘types’ she’d find herself with, her partner would end up being a super-cute, petite, sugar-pop optimism bomb.   
  
That was the thing about Nico though, Maki mused as she ran through an eleventh take with Nico on vocals. She wasn’t just an idol, she was an actress. The range of Nico’s voice matched the scope of her portrayable personas. In the brief month and some change she’d shared with the dynamo, she’d seen Nico be adamant and domineering, deviously scheming, unfailingly optimistic, deeply sarcastic, cheerful, moody, pure, vulnerable, lusty, compassionate, demanding, domestic, maternal… a dizzying array of contradictions that honestly continued to make her question her own depth.   
  
Even now, Nico was singing with a voice she’d never heard from her before. To help her with scales, Nico was maintaining a respectable on-key baritone that  _ may _ have been the hottest thing Maki had ever heard... in person anyway. No-makeup, naturally lower-voiced Nico… with her tight physique, maturely-lined face, knowing eyes, and liquid smooth hair… forming Umi’s lyrics with her thin soft lips, sharp tongue, and powerful chords…   
  
This Nico that only she got to see… this was the vision she couldn’t get out of her head. If Nico had taken her idol persona down this natural route, Maki was fairly certain that she’d  _ never _ be fully capable of proper focus again...   
  
A disharmonious key-stroke crash-ended the playthrough.   
  
Her face, heated.   
  
Nico’s questioning look at what stopped the music.   
  
“What’s up?”   
  
Cover it up with some wrist stretches.   
  
“I might be more worn out than I thought.”   
  
Nico stepped to the table to take a drink, “Need a break?”   
  
Maki was too hung up on watching her swallow, needing a moment before replying, “Maybe for the night. My concentration is shot.”   
  
  


 

* * *

**Two Days Later** **  
** **Nishikino Maki**

  
  


“Come on, Nico-senpai!” Honoka whined, echoing Maki’s own peaked impatience, “Enough already. You’ve been dropping hints  _ all day _ . Out with it!”   
  
“Seriously,” Maki chipped in, twirling her hair wearily and laying into the verbal annoyance  _ hard  _ at Nico’s previous suggestion. It was bad enough that Eli, Nozomi, and Kayo-chin knew about the two of them… it was time to start creating some public distance. Her voice was sharp enough that even Umi spared a glance her way as she chided, “ _ Some of us _ have other things we need to get to.”   
  
Nico slapped her hand on the computer desk and pointed to the group with a marker, “I can guarantee that  _ this  _ is the best thing you’ll hear all week!”   
  
“What is it?” Rin squirmed, having been totally taken in by the day’s buildup.   
  
Nico twirled around and, with a flourish, clacked out the computer’s password. She whirled around again, gestured to the screen, and with an unstoppable grin proclaimed…   
  
“Dengeki got back to us.”   
  
Immediately, Nico was swarmed as all but Umi and Maki crammed together to stare at the screen.   
  


* * *

**Dengeki G’s Outreach Program** **  
** <opportunities@dengeki.jp.com>   
  
RE: Application for Coverage - µ's   
  
Thank you for your very well assembled and organized entry. It is my pleasure to inform you that your application has been accepted and we would like to arrange an informal initial interview to feature you in our June issue.   
  
I’d like to personally relate the team’s excitement regarding your entry. If this is the level of quality we have to expect from the future of school idols, then that future is bright indeed!   
  
Please find the attached forms and provide them to your school’s administrative staff or so that we can finalize your group’s registration and, pending their permission, feature the school as well. Please also take note that they will need to submit all variations of their school’s uniform as well as provide an on-site guide for Dengeki’s photographer who will be in touch shortly.   
  
I, as well as the rest of the staff look forward to working with µ's!   
  
Satsuki Tanaka   
Dengeki G’s Student Interest Team   
Talent Scouting Agent

* * *

 

  
“This is… really happening,” Hanayo whispered.   
  
Honoka, who had wrapped her arms around Kotori and Hanayo to maintain balance, squeezed tighter as she whispered back, “They like us…”   
  
Eli’s voice only shook a little as she added, “They’re going to feature Otonokizaka…”   
  
“Ladies,” Nico announced, triumphant in stance and voice, “This is it. Our time has come.”   
  
Maki, who had read the email with Nico earlier, already processed the enormity of what this could mean. Her right arm would probably bruise from how tightly Nico’s grip had become as she’d read the surprisingly personal official response. She’d endured the brunt of Nico’s excitement (which included a lot of smacking her shoulder, a shockingly strong bear-hug, and about five minutes of teary-eyed muffled excited screaming into her chest) and was honestly rather impressed with how well she was keeping it together for the group announcement.   
  
The mention of forms sat uncomfortably high on Maki’s notice. As the other girls began to realize what she and Nico had taken in earlier, Maki just found herself hoping that she wouldn’t have to forge her parent’s signature again for this latest round of release paperwork. Still, seeing everyone so excited helped cut through her anxiety enough to smile appropriately.   
  
“That… is absolutely worth the hype,” Nozomi commented, her arm around a deeply moved Eli.   
  
“Never doubt the Nico~” Nico Nico-Nii’ed, “They just proved how good their taste is. We’re all  _ amazing. _ ”   
  
Even Umi had to smile at that. She gave in, shaking her head and replied, “We have a lot to live up to now.”   
  
“We’ve got this,” Honoka boasted, her voice hushed with unusual gravity, “We’re going to save the school.”   
  
“Perhaps,” Umi clipped, finally rising to her feet and clapping, “But if this means additional public scrutiny, then our performance  _ has _ to rise to a higher standard… both on  _ and _ off the stage.”   
  
Everyone turned at the bluenette’s suggestion. Even Nico looked surprised at Umi’s challenging tone as she continued, “We’re still new. Our performances are still amateurish and our… personas… still need a lot of work.”   
  
“What do you suggest, Secretary Sonoda?” Nico asked, bringing official titles into the equation to note the seriousness of her attention.   
  
Umi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “I… hesitate to say it… but we need to practice being in character more. I’m still fairly uncomfortable with the idea as a whole, and that discomfort needs to be overcome.”   
  
“Umi-chan…” Kotori responded, sounding pretty happy at the suggestion  
  
“You’re not suggesting we go around acting like our personas all the time, are you?” Maki asked, unable to keep the apprehension from her voice.   
  
“Are you suggesting that’d be a  _ problem _ ?” Nico responded, the edge in her voice taking the room off guard.   
  
Maki took a deep breath. Sharp. Through the nose. She narrowed her eyes before rolling them, “I’m not sure how much more ‘Nico Nii-ing’ I can stomach.”   
  
The room went silent.   
  
“ _ Oh? _ ” Nico drawled, her voice raising in pitch as she spoke, “Don’t tell me that Maki-chan’s too taken with Nico’s charms to control herself? I guess it’s only  _ natural _ that she’d fall for Nico’s Nico-Nico power~”   
  
Maki grimaced and looked away. Finger in her hair, she muttered, “Gross…” to the shock of most of the room.   
  
Still unflinchingly cutsey, Nico replied with a sugary edge, “What was that? Nico couldn’t quite hear that…”   
  
“Guys?” Honoka chanced quietly, clearly nervous.   
  
“Tch,” Maki issued dismissively with a toss of her hair. She stood noisily, her chair screeching against the floor, “I have better things to do than listen to this. If any of you need me, I’ll be in the music room.”   
  
Rin looked like she was going to be sick as she matched Honoka’s tone saying, “Maki-chan?”   
  
Before reaching the door, Maki turned, winked, and chimed out a, “Just kidding.” She returned to her seat announcing as she walked, “I’ll be abstaining from excessive use of  _ that _ … I’ll save it for the camera.”   
  
“Woooooow,” Kotori marveled, “Maki-chan’s convincing…”   
  
“I was totally fooled!” Honoka admitted, relieved.   
  
“Scary…” Rin agreed.   
  
Nico chimed in, back to utterly cheery, “Pfft. Like  _ anyone  _ could resist Nico’s charms~?”   
  
Maki only snorted a little as the rest of the girls laughed the tension away.  _ Her _ smile came as Nico continued, “Hey! What’s so funny!?”

  
  


* * *

**Later That Evening  
** **Yazawa Nico**

  
  


“So, while I was kidding earlier,” Nico admitted in a low voice, Maki’s mother at her side as the Nishikino of their mutual affections pulled ahead, “ _ Should _ I consider going in a suit to this thing? Maki-chan seems set on doing this dress announcement thing, but I haven’t gotten the impression she’d be in a place to... follow through.”   
  
“Oh? What makes you say that?” Nadeshiko asked, skipping over the question as she cheerily watched her daughter take a deep breath and step toward the evening gowns.   
  
Nico swallowed, knowing she was walking a very narrow path. Times like these really made her appreciate  _ her _ Mother being in the know. After a beat that felt way longer than it actually was, Nico answered, “Because she asked  _ me _ to tag along. I think she’s doing this more for you two than herself.”   
  
That got the woman’s attention, “What do you mean?”   
  
“I might be overstepping here, but Maki-chan told me a little about what’s going on with Goichi. She talks a lot about how she worries she’s going to cause trouble for you,” Nico answered, grateful that Maki was preoccupied with the clothing racks.   
  
“Oh…” Nadeshiko answered, pursing her lips and watching her daughter more seriously, “That is… far less fun than the thought of her being interested in dating.”   
  
The way Maki’s mother was reacting to Nico’s input said a lot. The social rules somewhat laid during the semi-drunk conversation after the date seemed to still be in place. At least Maki’s Mom seemed to genuinely value her input… and seemed to be taking Nico’s bond with her daughter as an unquestionable. Good, but still… a little overwhelming.   
  
After a long moment, Nadeshiko mused, “Normally, I’d suggest you go with whatever you’d like. You’re very kind to accompany us for this… but I  _ do _ have concerns about even playfully suggesting the two of you were there together. Like,  _ together _ together.”   
  
Nico’s heart was in her throat. She realized with a shock that she had  _ no _ idea of how accepting Maki’s parents were about that sort of thing. The woman’s next comments did nothing to clarify as Nadeshiko continued, “This is an older, more conservative crowd. Oh, and I should warn you, knowing some of  _ these _ boys, they might consider your presence to mean two pretty girls for the price of one. Either way, if it’s alright by you, shall we stick to dresses?”   
  
“No problem at all~” Nico chirped with far more cheer than she was feeling, “I’m going to go see if I can’t talk her into going backless with me~”   
  
“Good luck,” the older woman smirked, “Just remember what I said and don’t get  _ yourself _ in trouble while you’re there.”   
  
Layering her smoke-screen, Nico twirled to wink, “What, even if trouble sounds fun?”   
  
It earned her a laugh and a head shake, but the implication felt nowhere  _ near _ as enjoyable as it would have a few months ago. Nico is not, nor would she ever  _ be  _ a gold digger. Financial success would be her’s through her  _ own _ efforts. Still… three months ago she’d definitely be inclined to go along with some lifestyles of the rich and handsome. Make some memories. Kiss some pretty faces.   
  
… Huh. Kind of exactly what was happening now… only this was  _ far _ more emotionally serious.   
  
As Nico approached, Maki plucked a black piece, layered in thin nebulous sheets of sheer dark fabric with most of the suggestive openings locked tight with semi-transparent layers. She eyed the piece critically before turning to Nico with a questioning look.   
  
“Didn’t think you’d be going back to your TruVestment roots for this,” Nico teased.   
  
“I was thinking of this for you, actually,” Maki answered, her smile subtle as she continued, “Since we have to do this under-cover, why not have some fun. Choose each other’s?”   
  
Nico accepted the piece give it a thorough look. Maki watched. It had a slant toward that five-time-a-lethal-widow vibe, but only barely. Mostly it was a classy piece with some more suggestive cuts.   
  
“This is what you’d want to see me in for the evening?” Nico ventured,  _ definitely  _ taking note that this was unlike anything she had in her wardrobe.   
  
“We’ve been here less than a minute,” Maki answered ambivalently, already moving toward another display, “Call it an introduction to the idea.”   
  
Nico stared at the piece a little longer. Check one more instance of Maki catching her off guard. Shrugging, she turned to follow her girlfriend who was happily conferring with her mother by a display of scarves, looping it over her forearm and figured that it’d be easier to assess in front of a mirror.

  
  


* * *

**The Night Before the Gala  
** **Nishikino Maki** **  
  
**

**  
Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Your bathroom is absurdly nice, rich girl.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Also, that dress is  _ very _ flattering on you. Totally different vibe from what I’ve been putting you in.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** I have done Maki-chan a disservice.   
  
Maki slid her gloves off, setting them on the sink. She smiled at the compliment as she took a break from changing out of tomorrow evening’s attire to reply.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** You’ve done no such thing.   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I really like my Korekara no Someday outfit.   
  
… and she did! While Maki always felt that those little hats off to the side looked ridiculous and extra more often than not, she was really happy with how it looked on her.

**  
Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Living the dream. I get to dress  _ so many _ cute girls now…   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Except for Nozomi-senpai. (￣ε(#￣)   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Thanks to  _ her _ I had to miss out on having her  _ and _ Eli-senpai in the set.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** You ready for your big film debut?   
  
Since she wasn’t terribly certain, because of what that exposure could mean, Maki chose to redirect.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Are you?   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** You and Umi get to have that cute hallway scene. I think it’ll go over well.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Yeah, and you’re stuck with Nico-senpai. Sorry about that!   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** You just seem to handle her the best outside of RinPana… and I wouldn’t want to be the one to suggest separating those two.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** They’re  _ so _ obvious.   
  
… and they really kind of were… to anyone that would have leapt to that conclusion straight off. Sure, Rin clung to Kayo-chin pretty much all the time, but Maki saw a  _ lot _ of that around the school. Surely not  _ everyone _ there liked the ladies. Also, it was nice to see that her on-going subterfuge regarding her relationship was still successful.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I can see it, but Rin’s like that with a couple other girls in our class. Sure Kayo-chin is her favorite, but I try not to assume.   
  
Not her secret to share.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** I try to see the best in people.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** In this case, the best assumption that leads to lip-locking lesbians~   
  
A giggle slipped out despite herself.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Some influence  _ you _ are,  _ senpai. _   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** (＾Θ＾)V   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** So how about  _ you _ Tomato-chan. I can’t be the  _ only _ corrupting influence in your life. You handle my roll  _ way _ too easily.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** I suspect lips aren’t the only thing you’re locking.   
  
Maki’s smile included a lip bite as she settled into her pillows to mischievously tap her reply.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Equivalent exchange, Birb. If you want to hear my song, you’re going to have to sing a little yourself.    
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** So there  _ IS _ a song to sing?   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Nishikino-san, you are a tease.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Also a little perv. What would you want to hear about?   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Would you like to hear about what happens when Umi-chan gets pushed past blushing?   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** … or are you more curious about what happens when Honoka-chan gets an itch she isn’t sure how to scratch?   
  
Maki gulped, feeling her face get warmer by the second. Both were  _ really  _ tempting options… and she was beginning to wonder if there wasn’t a little voyeur somewhere in that mix of discoveries she’s been making lately. Still… it wouldn’t be fair, or right, to accept such an offering when she had zero intent on sharing her girlfriend’s secrets.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** This is a little unfair.   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I want to hear both…   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** But it’d only be fair if you talked about your solo time.   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** This tomato has to “roll” solo. (☍﹏⁰)   
**terrible.tomato.roll:** … and it wouldn’t be fair to your lady loves if you shared the “shameless” aspects of your own personal life. That almost feels like it’d be one step from phone sex.   
  
Maki sighed, feeling like she’d narrowly side-stepped some form of infidelity. It was both a relief just as much as it was a disappointment.   
  
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Why don’t I believe you? ( ･⊝･∞)   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** This means that either Maki-chan’s internet history is my kind of place, or you’ve got a lady on the side.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** … and just so you know, I’m down for pillow-talk with my favorite redhead any time.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** ( ･⊝~ ∞)   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Umi-chan’s been getting on my case for trying to ‘corrupt’ you.   
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** But we know the truth. <3    
  
Maki frowned and tapped back.   
  


**terrible.tomato.roll:** There’s nothing “corrupt” about sex. There’s no shame in love. It makes me very sad to think that Umi would think of those wonderful things in that way.   
  
Maki padded from the bathroom, her dress, gloves, and stockings draped over her shoulder. It was a now-rare home alone night, so she was reveling in her old topless PJ ensemble. She was on the  _ far _ end of a no-sleep cycle, so she was looking forward to crashing. Mostly caught up on school work, Maki felt that she was about at that point where if she laid her head on her pillow, she’d be out in seconds.   
  
A good place.   
  
At the moment, a very happy place.   
  
Even alone, she was still connected. She’d received a notification from Kayo-chin’s Line suggesting she’d been tagged. Nico had passed along a selfie of herself hard at work on a math assignment that was pouty and adorable. Umi and she had shared a brief exchange via text that ended with mutual good nights, and this was proving to be a very fun Kotori conversation.   
  
She’d made it to the stairs before Kotori’s next message popped up. A top down selfie of her face popping up just above her pillow with a big goofy grin.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Maki-chan is so sweet. She makes my heart all fluttery.   
  
Without thinking, Maki flashed a selfie herself. Smirk in place, middle finger raised, clear that the dress was on her shoulder and there was nothing else below the frame. She let the picture fly before she could think better of it and even after assumed it’d be fine.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** See, now  _ this _ is a good look for you. The gala dress is very nice, but I think Honoka would die on the spot if I shared this with her.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** You wouldn’t dare.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Ah ah~ Never use the word dare around me, Maki-chaaaaa~n~ <3   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** You are  _ seriously _ going to break some hearts.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** I really feel like we need to arrange a sleepover. Just you, me, Umi-chan, and Honoka-chan~ <3   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** _ Now _ who’s being the perv? (σ ￣ー￣)σ   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** Oh my god, finger guns!!   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** What can I say? I  _ really _ want to watch you kiss Umi-chan.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** … or watch Honoka-chan do what she’s been saying she’d like to do.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Aaaaaand that’s a good night, Kotori. Go home, you’re sleep-drunk.   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka:** It’d be so pretty!!!   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** _ Good night, Kotori. _   
  
**Chrpchrp.muthafuka: *** ~*~*~*~Nighty-night, Maki-chan~*~*~*~*   
  
  


* * *

**The Night Before the Gala  
** **Yazawa Nico**

**  
  
Spiritual.Healing7:** Nicocchi, I am SO sorry!

**Spiritual.Healing7:** I didn’t see your text until just now.

**Spiritual.Healing7:** Has anything happened since? Why didn’t you say anything at school?   
  
Nico snapped to attention, having been dozing over her math assignment and fumbling with her phone. She frowned and unlocked, mulling over her response for only a moment before tapping her reply.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** 눈_눈   
**OGNicoNico2:** You only just now noticed? Did you lose your phone in that cleavage or something? **  
** **OGNicoNico2:** An idol needs to keep better tabs on their social media.  
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** I’ve been busy. If you needed to talk, you should have said something at school!   
  
Nico frowned. Of course Nozomi was right, but Nico still felt annoyed that she was turning it back on her.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Nico got over it. Nico’s been busy too.

**OGNicoNico2:** Maki-chan is taking Nico to a big wig super expensive gala tomorrow. Very swank. Fancy dresses. Passed hors d'oeuvres. Pretty rich people. Hopefully dancing and later romancing~   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** As a date!? Wow. Her parents are alright with that?   
**Spiritual.Healing7:** I’m happy for you.   
  
Nico blinked and frowned. Unsure if she was wrestling with post-almost-nap-crankiness or not, she held back in her reply.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** You are?   
**OGNicoNico2:** Nico thought Nozomi wasn’t talking to her because she disapproved of her relationship.   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** I’ve actually been busy with my own.   
  
Nico dropped her phone. She picked it up. She stared, re-read, and rapi-tap tapped a hasty excited grin-fueled answer.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** (*⊙ꇴ⊙*)   
**OGNicoNico2:** REALLY?!?   
**OGNicoNico2:** It finally happened!?   
**OGNicoNico2:** Can I call?   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** Unfortunately no. Elicchi’s asleep~   
  
Nico dropped her phone again and leapt from her desk. She covered her mouth and quiet-screamed as she danced in place. She bolted from the spot and ran around her room three times, vaulting over her bed each time, before picking her phone up on the fourth pass and flinging herself onto the bed.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** SHE’S THERE!?   
**OGNicoNico2:** When did this happen?   
  
**Spiritual.Healing7:** After I talked to you about Maki.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** So you’re a thing now? A really real thing?

**OGNicoNico2:** Have you kissed?! (**⊙ꇴ⊙**)  
 **OGNicoNico2:** Have you done more?~ (๑ÒωÓ๑)  
 **OGNicoNico2:** Did Eli steal my Nozomi’s virtue!? ゞ◎Д◎ヾ  
 **OGNicoNico2:** If so, that is WILDLY improper behavior for an idol. I’ll have to have a talk with her.  
  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Oh my god.  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Stop!  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Yes, yes, yes, and _no!_ We haven’t gone _that_ far yet.  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Jeez! Maki-chan’s turned Nicocchi into a perv!  
  
Nico didn’t mind the jab. She was too busy rolling back and forth on her bed and kicking the air.  
  
 **OGNicoNico2:** I have _so_ many questions. You _will_ be telling me everything. Right?  
  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Do you really want to hear _everything?_ ꈍ .̮ ꈍ  
  
 **OGNicoNico2:** Did you hear me argue the perv comment?  
 **OGNicoNico2:** _Everything._ I’ve been _invested_ in this happening.  
 **OGNicoNico2:** For. Years.  
 **OGNicoNico2:** I could share too. Trade stories. Assuming it clears with Maki-chan.  
  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Not necessary.  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** _Really._  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Before I go into this… are you _sure_ you’re alright about Nagisa?  
 **Spiritual.Healing7:** Nicocchi _did_ just say she’d share everything~  
  
Tch. That was just _so_ like her. Nozomi’s life becomes amazing and she _still_ tries to redirect.  
  
 **OGNicoNico2:** No sign of her since. Nico was shook. Nico got over it.  
 **OGNicoNico2:** Easy to do when you have someone as adoring as her adorable Maki-chan~ <3  
 **OGNicoNico2:** Now… dish. From the beginning.  
  
  


* * *

**The Gala  
** **Nishikino Maki**

  
“Alright then. Keep an eye on my girl.”    
  
“Mama,” Nico whined, adjusting her shoulder strap as she settled into the limo, “I’m going so  _ I _ can keep an eye on Maki-chan!”   
  
“Don’t worry, Yazawa-san,” Kentaro assured, “We’ll make sure no one runs off with your daughter.”   
  
“Please, Dr. Nishikino. Call me Ikuko. Our daughters are close enough that I assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other. Besides, I’m more worried about her dragging a boy back with her,” Ikuko protested. Smooth. Almost as if she were used to covering for this sort of thing.   
  
Nadeshiko laughed and leaned across her husband to interject, “I’ll make sure to pass our contact information along through your daughter. I’d love it if we could talk more after this.”   
  
Ikuko winked at Nico as she settled in next to Maki, who was feeling a little red in the cheeks, and assured, “I’d like that a lot. Anyone who had a hand in raising your daughter sounds like someone I’d like to call a friend. Should I expect Nico to be staying with you tonight?”   
  
“If they’re alright with that,” Nico chanced, backed by a silent asking glance from Maki.   
  
“She’s spent so much time over lately that I don’t see a problem with it,” Kentaro assured.   
  
“Have a good time you two. I want to hear  _ all _ about it,” Yazawa Ikuko waved as the car started.   
  
“I’ll send you and the kids pictures~” Nico assured, waving as the car pulled away.   
  
Once the car rounded the corner, Maki offered a quiet, “Hey,” in greeting. Her face felt tight. Mama and Papa were sitting across from them, so instead of what she  _ really  _ wanted to do, she settled for nudging the smaller girl with her shoulder.   
  
“Hey yourself. I think you’re gonna turn a lot of heads tonight,” Nico praised.   
  
Maki took it as the direct compliment it was intended to be and returned with, “This is a good look for you, too. I half expected you to swap it last minute for something bright and pink.”   
  
… and she  _ did _ . She looked  _ great _ … though almost unrecognizable. Maki had only rarely seen Nico’s hair forced into such a straight, unteased state. A few pieces of complementary (borrowed) jewels softened the stark contrast that the overwhelmingly black dress cut against her pale complexion. A sheer burgundy shawl only barely softened the wiry cut of her arms and the definition her shoulders managed that Maki so loved to admire. Her makeup game was a direct one-eighty from the usual and gave Maki a long-awaited look at what would happen if Nico accentuated her angles instead of softening them.   
  
Transcendent. Totally unfair that she couldn’t let herself just stare and appreciate.   
  
Nico was a visual contrast to Maki’s own aesthetic for the evening. A snowy white with sheer almost-pastel blue draping. Elbow-length gloves matched the dress while her clutch paired with the flourishes. Very simple. Very pure. Nico’s insistence with a whispered comparison toward her being angelic that, at the time, Maki could only fluster/bluster away from.   
  
It’d had… been a while since putting on a dress made her feel so happy.   
  
“A girl’s gotta be versatile,” Nico winked, “So, do I need to be on the lookout for any troublemakers at this thing?”   
  
“We were just going over the list on the way here, but we don’t have visuals to go along with names,” Maki’s father apologized, “Except for Goichi, that is.”   
  
“Maki-chan’s shown me a picture of  _ that _ guy…” Nico answered, strain in her voice and Maki’s throat tightened. She wasn’t sure how well he parents would take Nico being appraised on the more controversial points of her family’s affairs.   
  
“I figured she’d filled you in,” her mother admitted, “Just follow Maki’s lead when it comes to him… or in general, I suppose.”   
  
_ That _ was a surprise… and it must have shown. Her father quickly smirked at her expression and chimed in, “Hey, we pay attention. We’re only  _ mostly  _ absent parents.”   
  
Her mother elbowed him, only adding to the cheek of his smile, “What your Father is  _ trying _ to say, is that we understand the significance of inviting her to something like this. We trust that you wouldn’t bring a friend into an affair involving the family without filling them in on the critical points first.”   
  
“I’ve only mentioned Goichi, the Kyodai, and the Ootori,” Maki informed, swallowing down her relief that they weren’t  _ too _ observant.   
  
“Scratch the Kyodai, Ooda, and the Natsures. Kyodai threw a counter-party out of spite. It sounds like the Ootori split up to attend both events,” her father advised, straightening his tie and smoothing out his jacket.   
  
Maki noticed Nico noticing her sigh of relief at this. The Kyodai males were  _ way _ too handsy for their own good, particularly the older adults later in the evening. A more natural smile took  _ that _ bit of anxiety’s place as she asked, “Do we know if Fuyumi will be attending this one?”   
  
Her mother smiled at that as Nico clearly struggled to keep track of names. For Nico’s benefit, Nadeshiko replied, “Ootori Fuyumi is the only daughter of their main family. If they weren’t such staunch traditionalists, she’d have probably inherited the lion’s share of family’s business. She watched Maki for us a few times when she was  _ much _ younger.”   
  
“I didn’t realize you were all that tight-knit,” Nico replied, “I thought your families were rivals or something.”   
  
“Oh, we are,” Kentaro explained, “But the competition between our families and say… the Kyodai, are very different.”   
  
“We actually tend to like one another,” Nadeshiko filled in with a smile, “My mother was close to their patriarch.”   
  
“Changed his diapers kind of close,” Kentaro added with more of that rare smug confidence, “Everyone assumed his kids and Naddie would potentially line up for betrothal.”   
  
“Fortunately for  _ this _ lug, Yoshio, their head of house, didn’t have children until very late in life,” Nadeshiko added, “The Ootori boys are  _ very _ handsome, after-all.”   
  
“They are,” Kentaro admitted, “And each and every one of them are  _ sharks _ . Let’s just say I’m glad to find myself on the same side of their opinions. If we had more say in the Nishikino’s business dealings, our families would be  _ much _ closer.”   
  
“You’re going to have a lot of scrutiny aimed your way,” Maki’s mother advised toward Nico, “Your name won’t be familiar, you’re showing up with the eventual Nishikino heiress, and you’re a  _ very _ lovely young woman.”   
  
“If Fuyumi’s there, we’ll try to stick with her,” Maki assured, laying her hand over a seemingly still-confident Nico’s, “I think you’d like her.”   
  
“I never would have guessed the medical business world was so aristocratic,” Nico breathed.   
  
“Everyone knows everyone else,” Nadeshiko agreed, “ _ Especially  _ at parties like these.”   
  
When Nico murmured, “Not the celebrity debut I was expecting,” Maki squeezed her hand reassuringly… guilty that she was dragging her into this, but  _ very _ grateful to have her along.   
  
… though having more than a night’s worth of sleep spread across the past week would have been nice too.

  
  
\------ ------

  
  
As it often was with events like these, one of the various organizations that a member of the higher echelon in this high-income circle-jerk found representation in was celebrating an anniversary. That meant name tags with affiliations, a cash bar with two free drink tickets, a three course meal with music, and at least two and a half hours of old people calling out to one another about what a great job they did at not losing the money they’d either stumbled into or had inherited.   
  
A little harsh, and Maki knew she was probably making her date-not-date nervous with how tense she was and how tightly she was gripping her virgin bloody mary, but these things just made always made her uncomfortable _. _   
  
Worse yet, Fuyumi had been dragged by her husband to the Kyodai event. She’d have to send her a mail later, letting her know she’d missed seeing her. That meant that the Ootori seats that happened to be at her table was one of the sons. Since his and the two accompanying seats opposite her family’s four were also slated for Ootori attendance, it couldn’t have been the oldest son as he only ever brought a single guest.   
  
Fortunately, sitting wouldn’t be necessary until the program started. That left the two girls some breathing room to nurse their drinks in the cocktail lounge as the room filled.   
  
“This… is the  _ best _ pina colada I’ve ever had,” Nico beamed, likely half for breaking the ice that was forming around Maki’s eyes and half because this location didn’t just use department store mixes.   
  
“If you go through yours too quick, I could spot you a ticket,” Maki offered, tapping the table with her remaining stub, “These are pretty big and if I’m going to drink  _ anything _ after this, it’ll probably be coffee.”   
  
With that brilliant easy smile, Nico further thawed Maki’s mood by shamelessly swiping the ticket and commenting, “That’d be a good idea, your majesty, Princess Nishikino the First... of my heart. You look like you’re barely keeping those beautiful eyes of yours open.”   
  
A quick glance to the sides confirmed that no one was meandering remotely close enough to have overheard. Maki let herself smile and shake her head, “That exchange alone makes this call worth it.”   
  
“Nico’s got to get used to swanky digs like these  _ sometime. _ She appreciates the jump start opportunity,” Nico winked before taking another deep pull and making pointed eye contact with one of the wait staff wandering with a tray.   
  
The man seemed to get a kick out of watching Nico grab three of the hummus pepper crackers and was appreciative of her casual non-stuffy and genuinely sincere thanks. She was being  _ really _ generous with the winking.   
  
“I don’t know  _ what _ these things are, but they’re…  _ so _ good,” Nico praised, sliding one of the three Maki’s way, “If you spot the guy with the mango chicken spoons again, wave him over.”   
  
Idol power at its best. Maki was fully relaxed as she smiled back, “Don’t forget to save some room for dinner.”   
  
“Nuh-uh, your Mom said to grab at  _ least _ one of each of these and if I can get out of this dress as easily as I got it on at the end of the night, I’ll be  _ very _ disappointed,” Nico boasted before occupying her mouth in other ways.   
  
Double-checking her surroundings again, Maki leaned in to jab, “If I’ve got anything to say about it,  _ I’ll _ be the one getting you out of that dress.”   
  
Rather than get the ‘swallowed too soon and had to cough’ reaction she’d hoped for, Nico just raised an eyebrow and smirked. She finished chewing and shot back, “Maybe if you’re still awake by the end of the night. I bet you don’t make it through the speeches.”   
  
Interesting…   
  
“A bet? What’s at stake?”   
  
“I  _ let _ you help me out of this and I’ll do whatever you ask for… I don’t know… twenty… no,  _ thirty  _ minutes?” Nico offered, looking  _ way _ too confident.   
  
“... and if you win?”   
  
Instead of answer, she turned away and took another bite with an entirely self-satisfied smirk. She twirled a finger in the air, which Maki took to mean the prize would be the same, only  _ she’d _ be on the hook...   
  
“You’re on,” Maki challenged back, feeling motivated to stave off her long blinks.   
  
The music swelled again as the band finished their drinks. The majority of the crowd was arriving and the cocktail lounge was filling quickly. Nico finished off her colada and excused herself to round up another batch of hors d'oeuvres, another drink, and a coffee for Maki, citing that she was rooting for her.   
  
This was already turning into the best time Maki had ever had at one of these… though standing at the table wasn’t pairing well with the ache in her legs. While that ache earned through idol practice drills was becoming common, it was still uncomfortable enough that Maki suggested they meet up at their table. As a result, she was the first of her group to meet with the three who were filling the Ootori seats.   
  
_ Not _ what she was expecting. She only recognized one of them.   
  
Exceedingly tall and broad shouldered while still managing to come off as lean and lanky was the youngest son. She’d only seen him twice in the past and would have  _ completely _ forgotten that his name was Kyoya had it not been for Papa’s re-briefing on the way. At his side was a shorter woman. Brunette with short cropped hair.  _ Hella _ androgynous-level cute. At her other side was a median-of-their-heights blond foreigner.   
  
Crap. Her English still had a ways to go and by being the first at the table, she’d likely be in charge of introductions.   
  
They seemed to be in the middle of some lively chatter, and it was with no small enjoyment that their body language suggested the woman had both of their attentions. Maki forced herself forward, pushing past the desire to double back and return with Nico.   
  
“Kyoya-san. It’s been a long time,” Maki greeted once she was reasonably in range.   
  
The young man, crap did he get tall, turned and stood in one smooth motion, looking uncharacteristically cheerful, “Ah, if it isn’t Maki-kun. I can see that adolescence is treating you well. Fuyumi wanted me to pass along her best. She was looking forward to seeing you.”   
  
Maki found herself smiling, her apprehension vanishing before she realized it. He always  _ was _ the more easy-going of the three Ootori sons. Nico-inspired relaxation loosened her practiced ‘professional setting’ voice enough to reply, “We’ll have to send her a selfie together. I was looking forward to seeing her as well.”   
  
His smile broadened as he crossed to the other side of the table and pulled back the chair next to him, “I believe we’d make her quite jealous.”   
  
Maki accepted the offered seat, “Absolutely the plan. It’s good to see you in such high spirits. Are these your friends?”   
  
“His very  _ best _ friends,” thin, blond, and European proclaimed with a flourish in (Thank god) well-enunciated japanese. The woman at his side maintained her smile but nudged him with her elbow. He continued unhindered, “I might be a little jealous seeing him so familiar with someone as lovely as yourself.”   
  
“Please pay Tamaki no mind for the duration of the event,” Kyoya casually said without losing a centimeter of his pleasant smile, brutally shutting the pretty boy down, “Anything that comes out of his mouth would best be ignored.”   
  
“Kyoya!!” the blond whined as the woman hid her face behind her hands.   
  
As the tall boy sat back down, entirely unphased by the blond’s complaints, Maki replied, “Oh, I’m sure he’s not  _ that _ bad.”   
  
It was like staring into a mirror reflecting her own current situation. Formerly a relatively stoic face surrounded by colorful, exciting people. The fact that they were here at all said a  _ lot _ about their importance to him, given his reputation.   
  
“Tamaki, Haruhi, this is Nishikino Maki. Her family is at the head of the Nishikino Medical Group and is a long-time friend of my family’s,” the towering Ootori introduced, “Maki-kun, this is my friend, Fujioka Haruhi and her fiancé Suoh Tamaki.”   
  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nishikino-san,” Fujioka offered in a pleasantly flat, made-for-business voice, her earlier embarrassment apparently evaporated, “I believe I’ve heard Kyoya mention your family in the past.”   
  
“I hope it was in a positive light,” Maki demurred as one did at things like these, “How did you meet?”   
  
“Kyoya and I adopted our little Haruhi into the family back in high school. We’ve been inseparable ever since,” Suoh answered dramatically, bringing a return to Fujioka’s easily apparent yet well-worn irritation.    
  
“Oh hoh, you didn’t tell me the Ootori boys were so cute,” Nico gushed, appearing at her side with a towering mocktail in one hand, a coffee in the other, and a napkin loaded with snacks resting on her arm, “This night just got  _ way _ better.”   
  
A smile dominated Maki’s features at Nico’s voice. The three watched Nico take a seat as Maki introduced, “Kyoya-san, Fujioka-san, Suoh-san, this is my friend Yazawa Nico.”   
  
“Pleased to meet you,” Nico nodded, smiling  _ brilliantly. _   
  
“And  _ she _ is lovely too!” Suoh proclaimed, hand on heart, “Kyoya, do you keep  _ any _ company that isn’t captivating?”   
  
“I let  _ you _ hang around,” Kyoya bluntly fired back in a contradictory pleasant tone, wearing the most thinly-veiled faux-happy expression Maki had ever seen. His expression game had  _ really _ stepped up and that was a  _ wonderfully _ pointed burn.   
  
“I was worried at first about who we’d be sitting with, but I think we hit the jackpot,” Nico added, setting her collection within sharing range.   
  
Maki accepted one of the cucumber bites as Kyoya asked, “Yazawa… I’m not entirely familiar with that name.”   
  
“My mother is an associate at Sumitomo Mitsui Financial. I was lucky enough to meet Maki-chan at our high school, Otonokizaka, and we’ve been practically inseparable ever since,” Nico replied, leaning into Maki’s arm.   
  
Sharing the first full genuine smile Maki had seen, Fujioka commented, “That’s so nice. That really takes me back…”   
  
“Ah,” Kyoya interjected, as if just remembering, “Haruhi here is only a few weeks away from finishing her law degree and should breeze through the bar exam shortly after. Tamaki is the heir to the Suoh family holdings and, as such, has a hand in numerous charities throughout Europe and Japan.”   
  
“Mostly oriented toward improving education,” Suoh chimed in, “While the efforts toward standardization have been appallingly slow, we’ve done our best to help pick up the slack that local governments may leave behind.”   
  
“Very admirable,” Maki noted with an impressed nod. Upon seeing her parents approach, her mood reached indomitable, only slightly diminished by the sullen countenance of her cousin at their side.   
  
Goichi nodded brusquely in her direction before turning to Kyoya and offering a much more relaxed acknowledgement, “Ootori-san. Always a pleasure. Pity I can’t stay, but appearances need to be made for Shuichi-san.”   
  
“Nishikino-san,” Kyoya nodded in return, rising to his feet to speak from higher ground, “An admirable task you’re taking on. I’m sure you’d be welcome at my family’s table there.”   
  
Feeling strangely empowered by how well the evening was going, Maki ignored caution to add, “Say hello to Fuyumi for me while you’re there?”   
  
Goichi froze and stared for a moment before nodding, “Of course. I suppose she’d ask about you regardless, but I’ll pass that along.”   
  
“Don’t let us keep you,” Maki’s father insisted with a hand on the young man’s shoulder, “Though I  _ do  _ wish you could stay.”   
  
“I’m just grateful they chose a venue nearby. Petty as it may be, it saves a little time for those who need to be seen at both,” Goichi shrugged, stepping away and nodding his farewell, “Have a pleasant evening.”   
  
“And you as well,” Kentaro and Kyoya echoed as the young man walked away, stopping along the way to greet others in passing.   
  
“That went better than expected,” Nico murmured into her straw as she leaned into Maki’s side.   
  
“Right?” Maki agreed into her coffee.

  
  


\------ ------

  
  


Introductions were made, salads were delivered, and Maki’s father and Kyoya capitalized the majority of the table’s conversation as Nico mirrored Maki’s struggle to keep up with the conversation. Sure, Maki may be more familiar with the names and terminology, but her nearly non-existent sleep schedule was making ability to focus wane. Fortunately, as a byproduct of her idol training, she wasn’t having trouble keeping her smile up.   
  
At Nico’s other side, Mama was recognizing the signs and it  _ sucked _ . It meant she would soon try to include her in the conversation as it developed to “help.”   
  
“Surely you have at least  _ one _ hobby outside of work,” Nadeshiko prompted the youngest Ootori boy.   
  
At this, he allowed himself another of those honest smiles, answering simply, “I am very happily married to my work. The secret to my own success is how much genuine pleasure I find in it.  _ Tamaki _ has kept up well on the piano though.”   
  
A slick redirect and one that obviously caught Maki’s attention. To her surprise however, it was Papa who spoke next.   
  
“ _ Really? _ ” He began, smiling broadly, “Our Maki has pursued mastery on the piano for some time, at a bit of protest amongst the family. Despite that, her persistence has produced some of my happiest memories.”   
  
If the shock of hearing it had not been so sharp, Maki would have probably teared up at the admission. Instead she simply met the eyes of the blond foreigner as he focused on her to respond, “I would very much like to hear her play sometime. It’s not often that I am offered the opportunity to be the one listening.”   
  
“I’d be happy to,” Maki answered honestly, her hand gripping Nico’s leg perhaps a little too firmly. She was feeling a little choked up… which was doing wonders for keeping her coherent.   
  
“You should hear her sing,” Nico added, sneaking an elbow into her side and adding embarrassment to the influx, “She just started and most of the school is already in love with her voice.”   
  
Maki sputtered an incoherent protest that only deepened Nico and Tamaki’s grins. Kyoya came to the rescue, prompting, “I hadn’t realized you’d pursued the arts so strongly. For what it’s worth, I spent a bit of my high-school career performing as well.”   
  
… and  _ that _ was surely going to be the shock of the evening. Ootori Kyoya?  _ Performing _ ? In any sense? Sitting across from her was one of the most professionally capable people she or her family was aware of… and  _ he _ spent time in school on artistic ventures?   
  
Almost too eagerly, Maki asked, “Really? What did you do?” Her parents certainly noticed.   
  
The blond boy had to cover his snort of laughter with both hands as the shortest of the trio smirked and watched the Ootori with almost serpentine amusement. The tall young man closed his eyes and put on another customer service smile as he answered, “I’ll tell you about it some other time.”

  
  


\------ ------

  
  


… aaaaand she blew it.   
  
Thirty minutes into the second speaker spiel on how his father’s work had been handed down and blah, blah, blah… Maki blinked just a  _ little _ too long and slumped into Nico’s side. Sure, she woke up again immediately at the impact, but the glow of victory in the girl’s eyes was clear.   
  
Nishikino Maki was on the hook for half an hour of obedience to Yazawa Nico.   
  
The raw disappointment of it not being the other way around was only tempered in that Nico’s stipulation included some… assistance in disrobing her later. Just enough to look forward to to keep from outwardly pouting for the next three speakers.

  
  


\------ ------

  
  


Dinner was finished and a break in the ludicrous long-form program meant a little more free time for socializing. The ballroom floor filled with about a dozen older couples that took advantage of the musical talent’s after-dinner performance and Nico was watching them so intently that Maki couldn’t help but ask…   
  
“Would you like to go down there?”   
  
Nico turned and stared, glancing to her parents who both looked just as surprised at the offer as Nico did.   
  
“That’s a  _ lovely _ idea!” Tamaki gushed, leaping to his feet and grabbing both Haruhi and Kyoya’s arms in an attempt to drag them away, “Come on! Let’s go dancing!!”   
  
“Ken-chan~?” Maki’s mother offered as she watched them leave, “What do you think?”   
  
“I would,” Nico agreed, eyes sparkling as she watched Maki slide her chair out and offer a hand.   
  
“Well… come on then,” Maki answered confidently as she watched her parents pave the way ahead hand-in-hand.   
  
“I don’t know what you were worried about… this has been great,” Nico gushed, accepting the offered hand and beaming smiles all the way down to the dance floor.   
  
“Beginner’s luck,” Maki winked, “You  _ do _ know how to dance to music like this, right?”   
  
“Like it’d be hard?” Nico answered, admitting that she did not.   
  
“Just follow my lead.”   
  
A few glances around, a few missteps, and the two were one-two-three-ing their way around the dance floor with ease. It was a dream. An impossible dream come true. Surrounded by the people who would have her throw away everything that made her  _ her _ , Maki was dancing with the girl that pulled her light out brighter than she’d ever thought possible. Her parents looked so happy. Nico-chan looked so happy. Maki  _ felt _ just… so… so happy.    
  
They weren’t even the same “just friends dancing” couple either! The Tokonami sisters were on the floor together as were old Yamamoto-san and Sato-san. It looked like, for just a moment, that Tamaki was going to pull Kyoya into a round. Instead, the taller man smoothly slid into a separate conversation, continuing to play up the casual-yet-brutal shut-down game they had going.    
  
Maki couldn’t keep her smile from twisting to a smirk as her estimation of the Ootori boy continued to rise. That was some stone cold action there… and her poly senses were tingling. Maybe she was spending too much time talking to Kotori.   
  
“You look happy,” Nico commented as they circled their way around.   
  
“Why wouldn’t I?” Maki replied, happy to have the relative privacy to explain, “I’m dancing with the most beautiful girl in the room,”   
  
Nico’s smile quirked higher to her left, “Good thing I got paired with the second. I’m surprised these people can look at anyone else… So, I’m having trouble thinking of what I want to do for your punishment game…”   
  
Maki twitched, but maintained her smile (again, because idol), “Does it need to be a punishment?”   
  
“Depends. Nico  _ does _ like watching Maki-chan squirm…”   
  
“Squirming can come from good things,” Maki reminded.   
  
“You are such a perv,” Nico sigh-admonished.   
  
“Come on, don’t ruin this fairy tale moment with being a jerk,” Maki laughed, keeping her voice low.   
  
That got Nico glowing again, “You really do look like a princess right now.”   
  
Maki caught a fresh case of the feels, leaving her unable to do anything but smile until they were approached by Kyoya and Haruhi. A quick glance placed their blond companion lounging by the band.   
  
“I don’t suppose I could cut in?” Kyoya asked… with his eyes on Nico.   
  
“If you’re sure you can reach this far down, big guy,” Nico answered cheekily, winking Maki’s way as she squeezed her hand and parted.   
  
Before Maki could fully process the exchange, she  _ was _ still exhausted, Haruhi stepped in and offered, “Mind if I step in for her then?”   
  
“Ah… sure,” Maki accepted before her confusion could fully process. The brunette wasn’t much taller than Nico, but with her confident steps and easy-going smile, Maki found herself no longer leading.   
  
“Don’t worry about your friend. Kyoya’s mostly harmless,” Haruhi assured. Her voice, surprisingly, was  _ powerfully _ soothing. Her expression was genuine, and her lead was strong and gentle. Maki’s anxiety over the sudden separation dispersed before it could take hold, and she let herself fall back into the comfortable rhythm.

  
  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  
  


_ ‘And each and every one of them are sharks’ _   
  
Dr. Nishikino’s warning was all Nico could think of as the pillar named Ootori swept her away from her fairytale princess girlfriend. Sure, subliminally she was assessing his form and acknowledging just how well he was compensating the height difference (which was  _ intense),  _ but she couldn’t help but feel tense.   
  
Sure enough, once he had swept her far enough away from Maki, he spoke up in that remarkably pleasant voice, “I feel I must thank you, Yazawa-san. You’ve made the evening a  _ far _ more engaging affair.”   
  
“I like bringing the smiles,” Nico replied cautiously, testing the waters, “You and your friends have been  _ great  _ table-mates so far.”   
  
“You seem to have made a profound impression on your friend. I’ve never seen her so open before. It’s remarkable, really.”   
  
He still had that same passively pleasant expression that never seemed to leave his face. There was  _ definitely  _ a shoe waiting to be dropped here… so Nico continued, “She’s a pretty special girl whose made a lot of impact, herself.”   
  
“She  _ is _ rather special,” he answered, sweeping her further and further away. They closed in on the small orchestra… clearly to drown out their conversation as he continued, “... and I presume you have a vague understanding as to why.”   
  
“She’s mentioned a bit.”   
  
“It is fortuitous that the Kyodai threw their counter-gala… most of those in attendance here won’t see your presence for what it is. They wouldn’t even assume. As far as this gathering is concerned, your attendance is merely a plus one to the illustrious Nishikino. Not a Nishikino yourself, so not worth the attention.”   
  
Swallowing her bristling irritation at the thought of being so thoroughly ignored, Nico prompted, “Maki-chan is my best friend. She invited me for moral support. Not much more to it than that.”   
  
“That would suffice for most people… but some of us pay more attention.”   
  
They stepped along… she couldn’t even enjoy the feel of his hand on her back… which was  _ huge. _ Seriously. He could have his thumb at her naval and still be able to tap on her spine… which would have been a major turn-on if… like… everything else wasn’t a factor. Instead, she just wanted him to get to the point.   
  
Fortunately, her silence was prompt enough for him to continue, “It’s no coincidence that the Nishikino heiress brings a girl two years her senior on the same night she forgoes dressing traditionally for the first time.”   
  
Nico swallows but continues to match the Ootori’s pleasant smile.   
  
“The problem children gathered down the street this time… but if word got out that the main family’s line may end from a terminal case of homosexuality, it could mean trouble for Nadeshiko-san and Kentaro-san… and even more for dear Maki-kun.”   
  
“That’s presuming a bit much, don’t you think?” Nico asked, breaking her smile for an incredulous fire-back.   
  
“Not at all. I’ve suspected for some time, to be honest,” the man continued, unphased, “... and if you  _ are _ presently courting her, I trust you will treat her well. She’s one of the best among her family’s name.”   
  
Whiplash.   
  
“Though I would suggest more caution in the future, that may not be necessary. I’m sure her  _ other _ activities will garner  _ far _ more attention. That said, I’ve never seen her quite as happy as I have tonight. I’ll be keeping an eye on her from here on out… her and… µ's, was it?”   
  
Her earlier conversation with Maki crashed back to the surface, chilling her.   
  
“How did you know about…”   
  
“If she wanted to be secretive, she should consider a pen-name. It only required a simple search on my phone to bring up your group’s listing. Needless to say, I’ll be watching with great interest… Yazawa-san.”   
  
Nico swallowed again. For just a moment, his pleasant smile turned sharp… predatory. She was proud of the lack of wavering in her voice, “Always happy to meet a new fan.”   
  
His smile turned soothing again. He began to lead her back toward Maki. Gently, he answered with an unsettling, “Nico Nico Nii~”

  
  
  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  
  


"S o then,  _ Tamaki _ went to the help desk and asked them to page the whole shopping center to be on the lookout for him… like he was some little kid!”

  
“I can’t even  _ imagine _ how he would handle something like that,” Maki answered, wide eyed and red-faced from laugh suppression.   
  
“Needless to say, Kyoya-senp-...  _ Kyoya _ was pretty mad at him.  _ No one _ gets Kyoya worked up like Tamaki can,” Haruhi continued to confide with a wink.   
  
“I’m a little curious about the three of you, really,” Maki admitted,  _ really _ enjoying just how smoothly confident the older woman was sweeping her around the floor, “The way he handles Suoh-san…”   
  
“He’s had a lot of practice. Our circle of friends were all in this club, you see.”   
  
“Ouran has clubs too?”   
  
“Well, naturally. If you’re attending something like this, I’m surprised  _ you _ didn’t go there.”   
  
“Personal choice.”   
  
“The right choice,” Haruhi assured, “It gets a little crazy there.”   
  
With Honoka in mind, Maki answers, “I’m pretty sure that’s just a high-school thing.”

After taking a moment to consider the point, Haruhi admitted, “You may be right, but Ouran was a special kind of crazy.”   
  
“I don’t suppose we could trade off?” asked a voice from behind, startling Maki until the tenor clued her in to who it was.   
  
Nico looked a little tense, but the tells were subtle. Haruhi harrumphed and chided, “Kyoya… please tell me you aren’t picking on these two.”   
  
“Why Haruhi… I would do nothing of the sort!”   
  
“Don’t worry Nico-chan. Fujioka-san is an excellent dancer. I’ll be right back,” Maki assured before nodding the older woman’s way, “Thank you, Fujioka-san. This was nice.”   
  
“The pleasure was all mine,” she answered warmly, parting and offering a hand to Nico who, after another glance Maki’s way, accepted.   
  
This time, it was Maki who found herself being one-two-three’d away. The song only had a little bit of life left in it, so whatever it was that Ootori-san wanted, he’d likely be getting to the point quickly.   
  
“It seems you’ve had a very eventful year so far,” he opened.   
  
“I feel I’ve lived more in the past few months than I have in years,” Maki agreed. Safe and accurate.   
  
“Fuyumi hoped it would be like that. She said that when you were younger you were looking for adventures. She’ll be happy to hear you’ve finally found one.”   
  
Maki settled into her smile a little easier. Words like these weren’t aimed at courting… this was familial. Nico really  _ was  _ a lucky charm. “Otonokizaka was a good choice. Before I really realized what was happening, I was surrounded by the  _ best _ friends.”   
  
“Adolescence can be like that. Your world expands, your interests develop, your connections spread. Your friend, Nico. She’s not what I’d expected in someone you’d call friend. You’ve grown quite a bit since we last spoke.”   
  
“I think we’ve talked more tonight than the rest of my life combined,” Maki countered with a smirk, flowing with confidence.   
  
“Should I take your presence here to mean you’ll be attending more functions like these?”   
  
“Maybe. My schedule is pretty full these days.”   
  
“Well, should you require a plus one, be sure to let Fuyumi or myself know. She’d be delighted to catch up. It’s been a few years and there’s a lot more to you now.”   
  
“That’s a good way to put it,” Maki agreed, surprised she didn’t find the statement insulting, “I’ll keep that in mind.”   
  
The song ended. The two bowed. Maki turned to find a blushing Nico walking away from a giggling Fujioka.

  
  


* * *

**The Ride Home** **  
** **Yazawa Nico**

 

_   
_ An almost imperceptibly quiet jazz filled the cabin of the limo. Maki was slumped against her shoulder, breath steady and clearly asleep. Across from the pair, Maki’s parents watched their daughter, but spoke to Nico.   
  
“I’m still not used to seeing just how much she trusts you,” Nadeshiko confided, “It’s… quite the turn-around from the Maki of last year.”   
  
Her father agreed, “I know. Last year she could barely handle being around her best friend… what was her name again?”   
  
“Omine... ah… Makoto?” Nadeshiko filled in.   
  
“Right. Omine. She wasn’t around much, but even though she was supposed to be Maki’s best friend, she’d just bristle up anytime the girl got too close. I was worried she was developing a complex… but you and that Koizumi girl really seem to be doing wonders for her.”   
  
“We’re the ones lucky to have her around,” Nico answered, softly so as not to disturb, “Has she mentioned any of the others?”   
  
“I think I overheard her talking to a… Kotori over the phone?” Maki’s father answered.   
  
“Minami Kotori. Second year. She’s in our group of friends,” Nico provided.   
  
“Minami, huh?” Maki’s mother replied, looking amused for some reason, “Might need to look into that a little more.”   
  
“Well, if you’re thinking of Fumie, she  _ is _ the Director of the school,” Kentaro commented matter-of-factly.   
  
“She  _ is? _ Oh… oh well that  _ is _ funny.”   
  
“Small world, right?”   
  
“I’m sorry?” Nico asked.   
  
“If this Kotori is the daughter of the Director, then her mother and I go  _ way  _ back,” Nadeshiko confided, grinning at her husband.   
  
“Huh. That  _ is  _ a neat coincidence,” Nico half-shrugged off.   
  
“So, if I may ask, what did Ootori Kyoya have to say to you?” Kentaro asked pointedly, “I’m not used to seeing him involve himself with anyone that wasn’t a potential investment.”   
  
“Mostly just warning me to be careful with Maki-chan. Kind of reiterating what I heard from you three. That she’s in the middle of a lot of big business stuff that could easily turn into a vicious rumor mill. He’s a… pretty sharp guy.”   
  
“That’s an understatement… still, it’s encouraging to know he may be personally invested in Maki’s wellbeing.” Kentaro mused.   
  
“The age gap between them is pretty wide, but not so wide that he’d traditionally be out of consideration… particularly given his credentials,” Nadeshiko added, “I’m glad he’s taking a more protective stance than possessive.”   
  
“Jeez, is that always going to be the focus when it comes to her?” Nico asked, distressed.   
  
“Assuming everything goes as planned with Naddie, Maki will be at the center of… a  _ lot _ of money,” Kentaro began.   
  
“We want to give her the best chance for happiness that we can… which means keeping an eye out for people that might try taking advantage of her,” Nadeshiko added.   
  
“We’d prefer whoever her partner ends up being, it be a case like you,” Kentaro continued, nearly stopping Nico’s heart, “Someone who came to like her for her personality and not her connections. I don’t know how much she’s told you… but she’s in a position where she needs to be cautious. There are plenty of people that would love to simply use her for the resources she’ll one day inherit.”   
  
“Don’t scare her friends off,” Nadeshiko chided, smacking her husband on the arm, “Regardless of all of that, thank you again for being such a good friend to her. I worry that she was starting down a very lonely path. Seeing how much happier she is now is a big relief.”   
  
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Nico assured.   
  
  
  
  


* * *

**Author’s Comments:**   
  
It’s been ten thousand years…   
  
Okay, not  _ quite _ that bad, but it  _ does  _ feel like forever since I’ve been able to really sit and work on this. I’m not going to dump all my personal woes down here because you all don’t need that, but I  _ can _ say I think I’m on the other side of that slump now.   
  
Yes, those three are from Ouran High School Host Club. No, they won’t be frequent characters and as such won’t be included in the tags. Yes, we will be seeing them again, but not likely for some time. This Gala is something I’ve been working toward for a while now and I almost feel guilty for it’s presence dragging this chapter on. It didn’t end up being quite as impactful as I may have wanted, but we’re still in the building stages for Maki’s big adventure!   
  
µ's is about to blow up, and Maki’s already overloaded life is about to hit a new fevered pitch as some of the other girls compete for center stage. We’re weaving our way back into the canon timeline in the next chapter of Nishikino, Wonder Zone.   
  
Also… how about that NozoEli, eh?


	17. Couch Surfing: Part One

**Nishikino Maki**

 

  
“Come _on_ ,” Honoka groaned, sliding her hands out across the table, jostling Maki’s pile of books into her notepad as she accentuated her exhausted flop, “We _just_ finished the Korekara video… can’t we like, revel in our victory for like, a day?”   
  
“We took the rest of the day off after posting it,” Nico breezily waved off. Behind her, the marker board was loaded with question marks and a quadruple-underlined title of ‘ **What’s Next?** ’ She tapped the words with her marker and chided, “We’ve got to keep this momentum going. Where’s all that get-up and go you’re usually loaded with?”   
  
Kotori picked up as Honoka let out a long groan, “Honoka-chan was up all night watching the view count go up.”   
  
“I was doing the same thing!” Hanayo almost trilled, “... and reading the comments! So. Many. Comments!”   
  
“There _were_ some pretty good ones,” Nozomi admitted, “I stayed up later than I prob’ly shoulda doin’ the same.”   
  
“Right!?” Honoka exclaimed, thumping the table again and making Maki accidentally plant a note a line higher than intended. Her glare went unnoticed as Honoka continued, “... and did you see our ranking?!   
  
Nico had. Maki knew this for a fact because she’d been lounging on the girl’s bed trying to focus on weaving together this chorus-line as Nico flailed and kicked at the air. Backstage pass indeed. Their club president’s demeanor about all of this was almost curmudgeonly compared to the ecstatic glee she’d express when it was just the two of them.   
  
It was honestly a little confusing. Who was she trying to impress by coming off as unphased by their success? Sure, it was relatable... but confusing coming from someone else.   
  
“I did! All the more reason to keep at it. This is a process we’re going to have to streamline as we go. Each number’s gotta come faster than the last if we’re going to _really_ make a name for ourselves.”   
  
Tch. Easier said than done. Maki’s glower deepened. It was a good thing she had so many songs at the polishing stage. She’d been more musically prolific than she’d ever imagined possible… but if the process was going to only get tighter as time went on, then this could get ugly.   
  
“If only you were so motivated toward your studies,” Eli jabbed idly, wearing a sly grin Maki had never seen on her before. It looked good, not that Maki could appreciate it in that moment. She _really_ needed to stop trying to work on composition during club time. Too much talking. Too many distractions.   
  
It just led to frustration. Frustration kicked up the intensity of her ever-present headache that had settled into her post-gala existence. Not sleeping over the weekend had helped chop down the ever-mounting pile of catch-up, but it wasn’t doing her school hours any favors.   
  
Fortunately, after the group stopped laughing at Nico’s exaggerated response to Eli’s jab, always the showboat, she redirected from the daunting production schedule to, “Oh yeah, we heard back again from Dengeki. They’ll be coming in on Thursday for a first run. Photos of the school, uniform modeling, and a few group shots. It doesn’t sound like we’ll need to do any interviews at that point, but it wouldn’t help to be ready.”   
  
“So think like yer character?” Nozomi prompted.   
  
“Nyo problem for me!~” Rin cheered, spreading her arms wide and leaning back. Apparently, she’d caught Maki’s deteriorating expression and thought it’d be a great time to ruffle her hair and add, “... and it looks like Myaki-chan’s got _her_ grumpy-face in place!”   
  
Maki jerked away from the contact and glared. She hadn’t heard the ‘Myaki’ line in a while and a smile threatened to crack through her well-entrenched sleepiness-fueled dour mood, so she covered it up with a forced-harsh, “Tch, I don’t get you. What’re you talking about?”   
  
“Nice,” Nico praised, waving her marker in their direction, “That’s the kind of chemistry they’re going to want to focus on.”   
  
“I don’t know if I could pull that off,” Kotori pouted, turning to Umi as she complained, “I just couldn’t talk to Umi-chan that way…”   
  
“That wouldn’t be in your character,” Honoka explained.   
  
“I’m pretty sure we could both manage it if it was toward you,” Umi added with a rare showing of her teasing side.   
  
“Wha!?”   
  
“Maybe… if it were Honoka-chan…”   
  
“Wait. Why just me?!”   
  
Yeah. Definitely had to leave the composing for later. Despite how impossible it was to concentrate with this crowd around, Maki just couldn’t bring herself to do the logical thing and vacate to the music room. Moments like these just couldn’t be missed.

“So,” Honoka pivoted, clearly trying to change the subject, “If we’re all going to be taking turns being the center, we should all try writing songs too, right?”  
  
The question was innocent enough but hooked particularly sharply for Maki, and from the looks of it Umi too. “Uhh,” Maki took the initiative, “Did one of you pick up an instrument in the past week?”   
  
“Kayo-chin’s pretty good with the recorder!” Rin leaned in.   
  
“I… I don’t think that…” Hanayo haltingly added before faltering off.   
  
“Oh, no. Not like the music part,” Honoka corrected, leaning in now that she knew she had an audience, “The song part!”   
  
“You mean the _lyrics?”_ Maki droned.   
  
“Yeah!”   
  
“That could be fun,” Eli chimed in excitedly, “We shouldn’t expect Umi to draft _all_ of our songs after all.”   
  
Uh oh.   
  
“That wouldn’t be so bad if we could work on them together,” Hanayo mused aloud.   
  
Not good.   
  
“I like it!” came the ultimate betrayal, among the top ten in all of anime, as Nico tapped her capped marker to her chin and grinned, “Does our fearless leader have someone in mind?”   
  
“Kotori!” Honoka turned excitedly, “You did such an amazing job with turning Korekara into Alice in Wonderland. That was really cool!”   
  
“Ah!?” Kotori deer-in-headlights’ed, “Th… thank you?”   
  
“You should write the next song!!”   
  
Maki looked to Umi. Umi was already looking back. Maki was sure Umi felt the same panic she felt… that was echoed in Kotori’s uneasy acceptance of, “I… ah… okay?”

 

\----- -----

 

Club activities adjourned early. Kotori bolted fairly soon after, with Umi chasing after. Honoka leisurely vacated with Eli and Nozomi, all three looking thoroughly pleased with themselves. Maki just sat and stared at the spot where Umi had been sitting as Nico got real with Kayo-chin over how hype she was.  
  
… or something. For once, Maki wasn’t even trying to take in her girlfriend’s excited idol-babble. She was too focused on the compounding difficulty of working with an expanded creative team. Would this mean someone else would be tasked with costuming? What if Kotori’s lyrics sucked?! Would she be able to accept criticism? Did this mean there would soon be additional oversight into how the music would be arranged?   
  
Maki’s concerns maelstromed until Rin’s voice rose up, exclaiming, “You were a **_maid_ ** , nya?!”   
  
Attention caught, Maki finally looked to the table’s end where her fellow first years were surrounding her girlfriend who was putting on some _serious_ airs and faux downplaying, “Yeah, I _used_ to work evenings over at @Home Cafe, but one of the school’s teachers started coming in and I had to bail.”   
  
Rin, confused, pressed, “But, why would you break school rules to get a _job_ ? Nya’I can’t even keep my grades up _without_ all that getting in the way.”   
  
“Well, the idol thing wasn’t working out so well. Where else would I get to practice working in a costume all the time?” Nico answered matter-of-factly, “Besides. The side cash was _really_ nice.”   
  
“Supporting idols is expensive,” Hanayo solemnly agreed.   
  
“I should have stuck with it,” Nico grumbled, “Or have been more outgoing while I was at it. _I_ could have been Minalinski before Minalinski…”   
  
“Who, what, now?” Maki interjected, sliding into the seat next to Rin, “What’s a Minalinski and who would ever let _you_ be a maid?”   
  
“Minalinski, the singing maid of Akihabara,” Hanayo began, rolling high on initiative and somehow managing a check on intimidation as her glasses gleamed, obscuring her eyes, “During a recent outdoor Cure Maid Cafe event, one of the maids broke out into song. Maid cafe maids generally claim a single charm point that helps them to stand out, but most rely on a physical characteristic. In addition to this maid’s striking hair color, curvaceous proportions, and allegedly beautiful features, the now legendary maid Minalinski earned the title of Idol of the Maid World through her passionate solo song.”   
  
On a roll, she continued, “Due to the nature of photography in maid cafes, the lack of pictures of this magical maid has only added to her allure. I’ve seen people on message boards claiming that your only chance of being seated at one of her tables is if you show up two hours before her shift begins… and her since the backlog became too much of an issue, they stopped sharing the maid schedules online.”   
  
Nico chimed in, “Since there’s no merch of her anywhere and checkies are under an explicit no-share policy, the best you can hope for without actually sitting at her table is an autograph.” She leaned back impossibly further in her chair and vaguely pointed to the higher shelves with her marker as she finished, “I got mine on auction. A worthy addition to the collection. The first idol of the maid cafe world.”   
  
Maki turned to look, feeling very unimpressed at the plain board featuring the stage name and nothing else, “Idol fans are something else.”   
  
“The word you were looking for, Maki-chan, is _passionate~_ ”   
  
“Right.”   
  
Nico stopped balancing her chair on its back legs, clacking its front before leveling some unusual-in-school attention her way, “I noticed you were distracted while we were in session. What’s up?”   
  
Maki knew it was because they were at school and because Rin was still in the dark about their relationship, but Nico’s less intimate tones being directed her way still felt less than stellar. Still, it helped keep her own tone in check as she leveled an irritable reply, “Mermaid Festa’s giving me a lot of trouble. I’m starting to think it’s just not going to work as a slow song.”   
  
Hanayo immediately looked uncomfortable at its mention. She didn’t seem to like how many songs with a focus on romance and intimacy were getting green-lit. Weird. Still, with Honoka’s recent announcement, maybe she’d take a more active role in giving alternatives. Umi’s notebook was _loaded_ with passionate stuff like this.   
  
Nico completely ignored Kayo’s discomfort and replied, “The spicy one? Maybe we should be approaching it from a different direction then. The way that one reads says it’s really charged.”   
  
“Charged and spicy. I’ll keep that in mind,” Maki smirked, finally breaking ‘character’ for the first time since sitting at the table, “I’m starting to wonder if I had the wrong idea about a few of these. It’d be a shame to let all that work go to waste though…”   
  
“Sounds like you need some new perspective,” Nico offered.   
  
Then Kayo-chin surprised Maki by adding, “I don’t know how, but I’m sure we’d all want to help you if there’s any way we could.”   
  
That earned her an apologetic shrug as Maki answered, “Not unless you’ve been hiding more than some talent with the recorder.”   
  
Even more surprising, Kayo continued to press, “Maybe instead we could help with perspective like Nico-senpai suggested. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this all day, but maybe a change to your routine?”   
  
Routine?   
  
_Routine?_   
  
It was hard not to snort-laugh at the thought. Ever since Honoka had appeared in the music room’s entryway, the very _concept_ of a routine had flown out the window. Insomnia alone had made the practice difficult enough, but tossing dream-fulfilling composition and a passionate relationship into the mix?   
  
“Right. Routine. What’d you have in mind?” Maki wryly prompted.   
  
“You should come stay over at my place tonight.”   
  
Rin was staring at Hanayo. Hanayo was watching Maki, seriously awaiting a reply. Nico stared wide-eyed at Maki, fully aware of how much she’d been looking forward to following her home, curling up on the couch with the kids, and just relaxing as her presence served enough distraction for Nico to prep dinner.   
  
“Tonight?”   
  
“Tonight.”   
  
She didn’t have cram classes tonight. Technically she should have been planning to work the night away catching up on coursework and composition. Sure, she didn’t _actually_ plan on spending the hours like that. Still, that sounded a lot better than admitting she wanted to spend the night with her girlfriend because it’d been nearly a week since they’d been able to…   
  
“I’ve got a lot of… “   
  
“So do I. We can wrap up our assignments together. You could help me with Rin-chan.”   
  
“I’d have to let my parents know…”   
  
Hanayo showed her phone’s screen, surprising both Maki (and from the looks of it, Nico) even further as she pressed, “Your mother said it’d be fine and that I should strong-arm you into it if you try to explain your way out of it.”   


… At least Nico looked about as put out as Maki felt as she sighed and relented, “I guess… thanks for having me?”  
  
… Thanks Mama.

 

\----- -----

  
**OGNicoNico2:** That was a hell of a power move. I didn’t think Pana had it in her. :(´◦ω◦｀):   
  
Maki trailed behind RinPana enough to ensure privacy. Fortunately, they were currently distracted by discussions of whether dinner would be rice or noodles.   
  
Maki had a hunch she knew which it’d be.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Right? I didn’t know Mama exchanged information with her. ( ￣＾￣#) I’m starting to think she talks to my friends more than me. Not feeling these choices being made for me.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Sorry about our plans tonight. I’m glad we decided to surprise the kids. It’d be tough to explain how all this happened if they were expecting us.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I _almost_ suggested you coming too.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** I don’t think Kayo-chin’s parents would like where that’d go. (σ ￣ー￣)σ   


**OGNicoNico2:** Maki-chan is an addict. Someone needs to save poor Nico! (⊃‿⊂)

  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** That’s right. Tremble before me.   
  
**terrible.tomato.roll:** Tomorrow then?   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Tomorrow. Be a good guest and don’t think about Nico all night!   


**terrible.tomato.roll:** No promises. I was really looking forward to coming over.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Nico will just have to make sure tomorrow is worth the wait~  <3   
  
A deep breath.   
  
A long release.   
  
Maki picked up the pace to match step with her two friends just in time for Rin to half-turn her way and ask, “What do you think, Maki-chan? Ramen for sure, right?”   
  
“At home?” Maki answered easily, “Depends on what we’re having _with_ the rice.”   
  
Rin gasped, fist clasped to her chest, “Nya’I’ve been betrayed!”   
  
“Jury’s still out,” Maki minded, finger raised and eyes on Hanayo.   
  
“I… I don’t know?”   
  
“Alright, in the ramen then?”   
  
Rin perked up over Hanayo’s turn to gasp. She immediately began to rattle off, “Green onions, sprouts, fish cakes, chashu, shitake, extra extra noodles… ahh… what else...”   
  
“... and who’s making this?” Maki asked dubiously.   
  
“Uhh… me? Microwaves aren’t hard, Maki-chan,” Rin matter-of-factly revealed.   
  
“... Yeah. Kayo-chin wins.”   
  
“What!?”   
  
“Yay!”

 

\----- -----

 

  
“You sit across the room! How do _you_ know what grades I get!?” Rin whined.   
  
It was tough, but Maki kept a straight face and a dry even voice as she deadpan-mimicked without looking up, “Uwaa-nya. Kaaaaayo-chin. I can’t take another one like this home. Mama’ll yank my ears.”   
  
Hanayo giggled at Maki’s side as Rin recoiled away from the table, “N-Nya!? Maki-chan listened in from that far away!?”   
  
Still declining to look up from her notepad, Maki answered, “I’m pretty sure the whole class heard you. You _sure_ you don’t want to take me up on this? I’d sworn off tutoring in middle-school, so this is a pretty exclusive offer.”   
  
“How generous,” Hanayo added, leaning over to bump her elbow into Maki’s arm. Almost cracked a smile there. Picking on Rin was just _too_ much fun.   
  
Rin scratched her nose and settled back into her seat, “I’ll think about it… but this is our first time all spending time at Kayo-chin’s! Why are we just sitting around doing homework!?”   
  
Maki finally looked up from her work, which honestly _was_ a bit difficult to focus on _regardless_ of how much it needed to be done, and asked, “What would you suggest?”   
  
Rin flopped onto the tabletop, making grabby hands at Maki and Kayo as she groaned, “ _I don’t know_ . **_Something!_ ** Watch a movie. Play a game! Listen to music. Go for a walk. _Anything_ but sitting around the table ignoring each other to do _homework_ .”   
  
Kayo giggled again, something that _never_ seemed to happen at school, and leaned in to claim one of Rin’s hands, “I don’t know Rin-chan… then again, since Maki must spend so much time studying, I guess this _wouldn’t_ be much of a change for her…”   
  
So nefarious. Maki swallowed her complaint of _needing_ to take this time to catch up. She still had _some_ image to uphold, after all. Instead, she sighed, leaned heavily on her palm, and poked at Rin’s other hand with her pencil, “Kayo-chin _does_ have a different idol selection than my _usual_ source. Could be useful.”   
  
“Usual?” Rin asked, not catching the reference.   
  
“Our illustrious club president,” Maki replied with as droll a voice she could muster, still repeatedly poking at Rin’s hand, “She’s got plenty of ideas about what’s required listening, but Kayo-chin still looked like she was in shock earlier when I didn’t know about… what group was it again?”   
  
“It was a practice, not a group,” Hanayo answered, voice suddenly stern, “About idols and love songs.”   
  
“Right. Any recommendations?”   
  
“So we’re gonna watch idol videos?” Rin chimed in, failing to not sound disappointed.   
  
“ _We_ are… after you go home,” Hanayo answered.   
  
“Huh!?” Rin blinked, shortly after adding a much more dramatic, “ **_What!?_ ** ”   
  
“Well, if you’re not interested in rewatching as we catch Maki-chan up, you’ll just be bored all night! I don’t want to ruin your evening,” Hanayo explained in a voice that sounded entirely sincere. No hint of passive-aggressive bite that Maki would have expected if the same words were coming from her.   
  
Then, in an even _more_ surprising turn, Rin looked _relieved_ instead of upset! She smiled that bright honest smile of her’s and answered, “You know that it’s not that I don’t like idols…”   
  
“I know,” Hanayo assured, then turning to Maki to explain, “I’ve probably sat her through what I’m going to show you a hundred times by now.”   
  
“A hundred…?”   
  
“She’s not exaggerating,” Rin added, “Kayo-chin _love_ idols. I should probably get going soon if you’re going to have time to get started.”   
  
“Get _started?”_   
  
Hanayo had that glasses-gleam thing going again as she grinned and explained, “If you’re going to get a properly thorough experience, there’s _no way_ I’d be able to fit it into one night. We’ll need at least a week. Are you sure you can’t at least stick around for dinner, Rin-chan?”   
  
“A week…”   
  
“Yup,” Rin tag-teamed, now poking back at Maki’s pen-wielding hand, “That’s alright, nya. I’ll see you two tomorrow. Don’t let Kayo-chin keep you up too late!~”   
  
Still too off-guard to get her inward-smirk going at that comment, Maki backpedaled, “I didn’t mean to chase you off.”   
  
“You’re not, nya!” Rin chirped cheerily, “But, you two should come to _my_ place tomorrow!”   
  
“We usually alternate whose home we spend the evenings at,” Hanayo explained.   
  
“Nothing overnight like you’re doing now, just Kayo-chin an’ I are _always_ together!”   
  
“So you’re going to come with us tomorrow too?”   
  
_“Bueh!?_ I… I mean... _”_   
  
“Yay! Maki-chan’s coming over to my place!” Rin danced as she packed her things.   
  
“I didn’t… I didn’t say I was… _mou!”_   
  
“Hee hee!~”

 

\----- -----

   
  
It might be a bit late in the visit to say, but Hanayo’s home was pretty nice. As was likely the case with most of the girls attending Otonokizaka, given the steeper-than-average tuition, the Koizumi’s were fairly well off. The house wasn’t quite on the scale of Maki’s home, but it _was_ a house as opposed to an apartment.   
  
Also, despite barely making their presence known outside of the bare minimum pleasantries during dinner, her parents were just as lovely as their daughter. It was easy to see where her soft-spokenness came from. Honestly, it was kind of a wonderful meal _because_ it was so subdued. It appealed to the same part of Maki that enjoyed the post-rush portion of her Yazawa household appearances. Lazy, calm, and filled with the assumption of affection.   
  
She felt a little guilty about it, but Maki felt her tension seep away in the time since Rin left. By the time Hanayo led her back to her room for chaining idol videos, Maki felt a little like the pudding they’d finished their meal with. Wobbly and whimsical.   
  
It was in this wooby relaxed state that Maki didn’t think before answering when Hanayo asked, “So, how are you and Nico-senpai?”   
  
Nope. No thought at all. Just a post-dinner happy-groan, a sleepy wide smile at the thought of her vivacious, endlessly interesting, keeper of otherworldly knowledge girlfriend, and an overly honest, “ _Really…_ really good.”   
  
But then her brain caught up. Just in time for Hanayo to answer, “Oh! Wow. That _does_ sound good! Maki-chan is making me curious.”   
  
“W-well don’t expect to hear much!” Maki backpedaled, off-guard.   
  
Kayo grinned as she sank into her computer desk’s chair, “Of course not. Idols don’t get into relationships after-all. I’m just glad to hear your friendship is so strong.”   
  
“... Right,” Maki accepted, taking the edge of the bed. Kayo-chin got so strangely confident anytime relationship talk came up when they were alone. Hoping to change the topic, Maki chanced, “How about you and Rin? She still seems to still be on edge when I’m around.”   
  
“You know, if you told her about your… friendship with Nico-senpai, I’m sure she’d lighten up.”   
  
Maki blinked, “... I don’t get it.”   
  
Hanayo’s smile turned somehow warmer as she mused aloud, “You really don’t, do you? No matter… why don’t we get started with a little Tokumeki Top and see where that takes us?”   
  
“... Sure. Never heard of that one.”   
  
“What _has_ she had you listening to!?”   
  
“We’re not even to this century yet…”   
  
“Oh. Wow. Nico-senpai is being thorough.”   
  
Maki snorted, “I don’t know. She could probably stand to be a little _more_ diligent.”   
  
“Was that a reference to…?”   
  
“... Let’s hear what makes Tokumeki Top worth our time.”   
  
“ _Worth our_ **_time!?_ ** ”   
  
Directing conversations with Kayo-chin were too easy.

  


\----- -----

 

  
Tokumeki Top. Spark. Morning Musume. Watermelon Tourmaline. Tokusatsu Tragedy. Momoiro Clover Z. Neon Trip. AKB48. At least four songs each, with most having more than seven essential listens that Kayo had insisted on.   
  
Maki closed the tab on song number three of Babymetal, (Karate, which left her face a little warm as her imagination filled in _another_ petite twin-tailed woman in motion to music that _really_ appealed to her Kalafina-loving past), and felt inclined to finally take a break. Maybe relate the earlier sentiment to her probably now-asleep girlfriend. At least, Maki assumed she’d be, given that the clock had passed midnight a while ago. Kayo-chin was slumped against her shoulder.   
  
Snoring adorably, by the way.   
  
Part of her decision to break _may_ also have something to do with her arm falling asleep. She had two more tabs remaining, needed a bathroom break, and poor Kayo-chin was probably going to wake up with a massive crick in her neck from holding the position for so long. The only reason she’d let it go on for so long was because of just how warm and comfortable the familiarity felt.   
  
For someone who had assumed they’d walk through their future alone, she was certainly becoming accustomed to the comforts of human contact.   
  
“Hey,” Maki urged gently, “You gonna make me carry you or can you make it to bed on your own?”   
  
“Mmrmmm…”   
  
“That wasn’t one of your two choices,” Maki snarked softly, grinning at the not-even-slightly-coherent girl. When Kayo only responded by snuggling in further, Maki couldn’t help but pull up her phone’s selfie camera and snap a shot or two to tease Nico with later. Heck, the shot came out good enough that it might make a good official µ's photo.   
  
Jeez, she was just… _so_ cute.   
  
“Come on, I still have over an hour of listening ahead. Are you going to make me carry you, or what?”   
  
“Huhh?” Hanayo stirred. Maki offered the girl her glasses that had long ago fallen onto her lap.   
  
“I’m almost through Babymetal and it’s past midnight. You should get to bed.”   
  
“Midnight?” Hanayo slowly re-engaged, rubbing her eyes, “You should sleep too.”   
  
“I will eventually. Open up that folder you mentioned before you go lay down. I want to see at least a few of your saved favorites before I check in.”   
  
“Maki-chan is amazing,” Hanayo yawned, complying without seeming to give it much thought. She popped open a folder and clicked through a dizzying array of sub-categorization before landing on a folder simply labeled ‘Best’. She shoulder bumped Maki one more time, probably by accident more than a parting gesture, and yawned out an, “Oyasumi nasai…” before flopping onto her bed and inch-worming her way under the covers.   
  
A quick run to the restroom, an unresponded-to text to Nico including the previously mentioned picture with a ‘wish you were here’ sentiment, and a weary sigh as Maki realized that this would probably be yet _another_ little-to-no sleep night. She was too antsy, despite her weariness.   
  
Tomorrow was going to get interesting.   
  
Rough as it would be, she’d give the last Babymetal tab a go and see if she was still capable of even absorbing what she was listening to. She really _was_ tired. As the drum-roll staccatoed and the guitars ground in the opening to the song, Maki idly clicked around Kayo’s “Best” folder, seeing if anything jumped out or was familiar. No less than seven of the files were dupes of Nico’s earlier selections, which was honestly a bit of a relief.   
  
The folder was actually rather sparse, with a sub-folder named “Lives” which Maki double-clicked into without much thought. Apparently a collection of self-shot concert videos and stills. Looked like her Kayo-chin’s mother attended quite a few of these with her. Rin too.   
  
Man, that girl could dance.   
  
Maki scrolled through a few hundred thumbnails before the scenery changed as did the file naming conventions. Dark stages with starbursts of color were replaced with parks and the surrounding neighborhood. Throughout them all, one person dominated the collection. Nearly every single shot was a candid of Rin. In most of the shots, she didn’t even seem to be aware that the camera was aimed her way.   
  
Maki had mindlessly stared at at least a dozen rows of these thumbnails before her mind really registered what she was seeing. Roughly around the same time the song stopped. A chill ran up her back as she realized just how much of an invasion of privacy this was. A quick turn-around revealed Hanayo to be _sound_ asleep… which alleviated her anxiety, but not her guilt.   
  
She clicked back to the previous folder and queued up the RTC Beats video and dragged the slider to its end. She knew this one, so she could pretend she’d watched it as well. She didn’t want to be anywhere near the computer anymore. She set the machine to sleep and powered off the monitor before trying to feel her way to the bed’s side where the pull-out futon rested.   
  
She only cracked her knee on the bedframe once.   
  
Between the chill of realization and the panic of being caught snooping, unintentional as it was, it took nearly two hours before Maki could quiet her mind enough to drift off into a fitful sleep, filled with dreams of distrusting Hoshizora glares that broke her heart and trying to console a sobbing Cocoro without knowing what was wrong.

  


\----- -----

  


Maki woke in a panic, immediately forgetting why. She’d also forgotten where she was for nearly a minute as even adrenaline wasn’t sufficient to get her sleep-deprived senses fully on track. She didn’t stop scrambling in place until her eyes fell upon the peacefully slumbering Hanayo. Even after, it took a few long breaths before her heart stopped pounding.  
  
Distantly, well-grounded protocol directed her to grab her bag and creep to the restroom. Sure enough, her fitful over-night tossing around had done a number on her concealer. The bloodshot eyes were quite a look too…   
  
So...   
  
Eyedrops. Reapplied concealer because vanity was stupid but still too strong to resist. Several handfuls of water down the hatch because water was soothing, future restroom needs be damned. A futile check to see if Nico’d looked at the picture she’d sent. It was only barely after four in the morning, so no dice. Delivered, not Seen.   
  
It’s not that this had been a bad night. It really hadn’t. It was actually really nice. Kayo-chin had such a soothing presence that if it weren’t for Maki’s accidental browsing mishap she’d probably have been able to sleep the night through. Kayo had great taste in music and seemed more pure and chaste than Maki would have assumed was possible. Seriously.   
  
It’s just...   
  
She’d _really_ been looking forward to that alone time with Nico.   
  
The sleepier Kayo-chin became, the less concerned she became with personal space. Any comfort she’d gained from it was tempered with that engine rumbling in hopes of higher gears. Her only real experience with that kind of casual contact had been followed up with future cuddling and often more… exciting skinship.   
  
Kayo-chin’s seeming innocence just made her feel like she was… like she was taking things with Nico too hard and fast or something. Not that this feeling of guilt was even _close_ to enough to make her want to stop… particularly if all of this wasn’t going to continue forever.   
  
Another thought managed to squirm its way past the pangs of missing Nico, probably by proxy of those guilty feelings. The sheer quantity of photos in that folder. Hundreds of thumbnails and that scroll bar had barely budged. Kayo-chin really… _really_ liked Rin. She clearly had for a very long time. In just those few seconds of mindless scrolling she’d seen dozens of outings. Candids and poses. Selfies and a surprising number of shots of Rin just sleeping.   
  
It’d honestly be creepy if she didn’t know how head-over-heels Rin was for her in return.   
  
The night grabbed hold of Maki’s sleepiness once more. She wearily packed away her cosmetics, gave one last look at her phone’s home-screen, and trudged back to her spot by Kayo-chin’s bed. Too tired to focus on the snippets of song that flitted in her subconscious, but too distracted by random thoughts to really fall asleep.

  


\----- -----

  
  


“Nyai can’t believe you really drink that stuff,” Rin cringe-greeted Maki, whose mouth was too preoccupied with her newly acquired coffee to respond any further than a shrug.  
  
“I might have kept her up a little too late,” Hanayo hedged guiltily, “We made it all the way through Babymetal and it looks like she started into RTC.”   
  
“In one night?” Rin boggled, “Did you two even finish your homework?”   
  
Hanayo looked away. Maki’s shoulders dropped. Rin whistled, “Wow. I can get Kayo-chin getting that distracted, but you too, Maki!?   
  
“I’ll just get it done in homeroom,” Maki groaned, despite not being able to recall what exactly those assignments were anymore.   
  
The drink would be enough to push back a caffeine headache, but she’d wait until the others weren’t watching to pop the vitamins and boosters that would hopefully get her back to coherency. Still… this was bad. Three mostly sleepless nights meant today would likely be shot… and she couldn’t afford non-productive days anymore.   
  
Not if she was going to continue providing worth to the group.   
  
They were counting on her.   
  
Nico’s entire future was, in some capacity at least, in her hands.   
  
Another long drag to sear her throat. Pain forced coherency. A smaller one to help the pills go down while Rin continued to poke fun at Kayo-chin about not finishing her English homework. Right. English. Grammar drills. Grammar drills and another fifteen words for the vocabulary.   
  
Today would be fine. Probably.

  


\----- -----

  


  
“Wait, Maki-chan’s couch-surfing!?” Honoka squawked, palms slapping the clubroom table, “Like, for sleepovers?”   
  
Before Maki could reply, Rin crowded into her side and boasted, “Nyup! She stayed over at Kayo-chin’s last night. Tonight she’s comin’ over to _my_ place!”   
  
“Oh yeah?” Nico interjected in surprise, wheeling around from checking the team’s rankings page. If she was disappointed by this, it was well hidden behind the girl’s increasingly apparent acting skills. Instead, Nico just nodded approvingly and commented, “Just be sure not to overdo it. _Madam President_ would give me hell if the club corrupted the first years’ star pupil.”   
  
“Bueh!?” Maki recoiled at the title, her expression retaining surprise far longer than she would have preferred, “Don’t… don’t be ridiculous.”   
  
“She has a point,” Umi spoke up, capturing the room’s attention, “There’s club activities and saving the school to consider, but ultimately our permission to continue functioning in this capacity is tied directly to our performance as students.”   
  
“No student of Otonokizaka can be an idol while failing their classes,” Eli agreed, “Which should go without saying.”   
  
“Failing?!” Maki scoffed, “I’ve only received three B’s on tests in my entire life. You _don’t_ need to worry about that.”   
  
Seriously… the indignation of the suggestion was enough to pull her out of her sleeplessness-addled surprise. Sure, she’d barely managed to get her homework completed in time for the lesson itself, but that was _with_ hardly touching it overnight. She wasn’t even _close_ to something as extreme as failing.   
  
”So when are you getting homework done? You’re juggling like… five songs right now,” came _another_ unexpected betrayal from Nico.“

“It’s getting done,” Maki grumbled without fully answering, growing more uncomfortable by the moment. What’s with all the attention lately?   
  
“Well, if you’re going to make your way to everyone else’s home, I’d like to suggest my own residence be added to your queue,” Umi intoned with every inch of her authority, “I’d like to assess your study habits myself.”   
  
Maki could only stare, her mouth slightly agape as her schedule was further dictated when Eli pitched in, “I’m glad you suggested that. I was considering doing the same.”   
  
“Maybe we should all make sure one another is keeping pace on their studies,” Nozomi impishly added, “I’ll volunteer to check on Nicocchi~”   
  
“Nico is doing just fine!” Nico insisted, earning instant ‘oh really’ glares from Nozomi and Eli.   
  
Interesting. Maki realized she’d never seen her girlfriend working on anything school related outside of the club.   
  
“I’ll check in with Honoka-chan tonight, but for now I need to get going,” Kotori added, collecting her things and offering a regretful bow.   
  
“You’re missing _another_ practice?” Honoka redirected with a pout,  “Is everything okay?”   
  
“Everything is fine,” Kotori assured hurriedly on her way to the door, “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”   
  
“Mou…” Honoka whined. Maki kind of wanted to whine too… Kotori’s frequent disappearances would have been a good distraction from…   
  
“Is it safe to assume you’re in agreement then?” Umi pressed, her gaze not having left her once during the intervening conversation.   
  
“... Sure.”

 

\----- -----

  


“So, I won’t be able to come over until after I finish my cram class,” Maki began, trading shoes at her locker as Rin practically vibrated at her side. This did nothing to hamper that excitement as Hanayo approached. “It’ll take a while, so you probably should just head home in the meantime.”  
  
“You’ll be over in time for dinner though, right? They can’t keep you _that_ late, can they?” Rin bounced, letting Kayo-chin take her previous spot as the two flanked Maki. It’s not like she was going to try to run away or anything…   
  
“Send me your address and I’ll check how long the commute will be,” Maki caught herself grumbling. Rin’s excitement about her visiting should feel infectious. She’d been worrying about the ginger-headed catgirl’s opinion of her for so long now…   
  
She was just so _tired_ .   
  
“I’ve got it,” Hanayo stepped in, always faster with her smartphone.   
  
Trying to make up for her seeming lack of enthusiasm, Maki re-engaged, “So, you seem pretty hype about getting me over. Any plans?”   
  
“Nope!” Rin chirped happily, “It’s just that Kayo-chin’s really the only friend I’ve had over since early primary school! I kinda want to show you off to my parents.”   
  
Maki stared, torn between the desire to bail over the audacity of losing another evening on a whim and feeling deeply moved over the pure intention. Maybe she wasn’t on quite as rocky ground with Rin afterall!   
  
Unfortunately, Maki heard her mouth go with the first mindset, laying down a sardonic, “Good to know I at least rate show-and-tell material. If you’ve got a Casio at home or something, we could show off a little more. Put on a three-girl show for them.”   
  
Rin’s look of pure excitement was an arrow in Maki’s sleep-deprived heart, “That would be amazing, nya! Momma would _love_ that!” She hopped in place a few times before throwing her arms around Maki and twirling the currently easily disoriented girl around a few times.   
  
… a smile finally snuck through.

  
  


* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  


The sun was starting to set before Nozomi returned to the club room. Nico wasn’t sure if she was grateful or annoyed, given that she’d planned on vacating _long_ before she’d have the chance. She hadn’t even done any _real_ catch up on her idol boards. Just aimlessly wandering the comments on the Korekara video, rereading the itinerary from Dengeki, and putzing around on Sailor Moon Drops and Bang Dream.   
  
“So you _are_ still here,” Eli chimed in, surprising Nico as she slid into the room after Nozomi, “Want some company on the way home?”   
  
“We could use some help with envelopes at the shrine if you’re bored,” Nozomi added while Nico wheeled her chair around.   
  
Her lips were a thin line. She honestly didn’t mean to glare, but this kind of doting felt excessive. Excessive… but welcome… and that was frustrating.   
  
“Nico supposes she could keep you company, since it’s clear you just can’t get enough.” Haughty always helped.   
  
Eli pressed in behind Nozomi, hooking her chin over the shorter girl’s shoulder and wrapping her arms around to drum her fingers on the buttons of her blazer, “You’re so kind. What’s kept you here so late?”   
  
There was no way Nico was going to admit that this was far from out of the ordinary, because that would entail admitting that she spent hours in the clubroom alone with the lights off. Fortunately, any grumpiness of being reminded about this was completely blown away by the PDA from her number one in-person ship.   
  
“Nico figured you two needed a safe space to show off… all of this,” Nico gestured vaguely, her features relaxing into a smile, “You know, give Nico a show for all of her hard work making this happen.”   
  
“You sleeping with an underclassman is hardly what brought us together, Nicocchi,” Nozomi smirked, leaning back.   
  
“How _is_ Maki doing, anyway?” Eli asked uncomfortably before Nico could protest Maki being referred to as ‘an underclassman’, “She seemed pretty out of it today.”   
  
“Maki-chan’s business is hers to share,” Nico breezily answered, “... Not that I’ve been able to catch up with her for about a week.”   
  
“Aww, is Nicocchi jealous?”   
  
Nico’s smile flipped again, “Nico doesn’t get jealous… but she _does_ get annoyed seeing people walk all over her _girlfriend._ ”   
  
Eli shared a sympathetic smile and offered, “Want to talk it over over parfaits?”   
  
Nico raised an eyebrow, “That _wasn’t_ a euphemism all this time? Sure. Council President’s treat?”   
  
“If that’s what it takes to get you to talk, sure.”   
  
Nico whirled around, shut down the computer, and swooped to her feet. Charming grin #5 flashing forward, Nico chirped, “If you’re looking for a song, Nico’s rates are pretty high.”   
  
The two parted and fell into step behind her. It really _did_ feel weird to be depressed at _all_ with how much was going right lately. So much was falling into place left and right. It really made no sense. Maybe talking about things could help her piece it together.

  


\----- -----

  


When the three finally sat down again, it wasn’t in a cafe like Nico had expected. This was a karaoke. When Eli plopped a menu onto Nico’s lap, she couldn’t help but comment, “You know I was kidding about the singing, right?”  
  
“Nicocchi gets shy in public,” Nozomi commented carelessly, her attention on the sheaf of plastic in her hands.   
  
“We’d rather just keep you to ourselves for the time being. Away from your ‘fans’,” Eli added.   
  
“Oh,” Nico squirmed, suddenly feeling penned in despite having an entire side of the table to herself. This really _did_ sound like it was leading to more serious talk. As a throw-away shot, Nico countered, “Here Nico was hoping she was going to get a show.”   
  
“Nicocchi’s a voyeur?” Nozomi answered just as breezily unconcerned as before.   
  
“Would you believe I’ve never tried in person?” Nico played along, “... except that one time.”   
  
That got a smile out of her.   
  
“You two are impossible,” Eli squirmed before setting her menu aside to center Nico in her sights, “ _Anyway_ , I wanted to talk to you. Just us. About the group, about your schoolwork, and about Maki.”   
  
Nico turned her menu around, tapping the ‘My Strawberry Romance’ and replying, “You get to pick _one_ of those until Nico gets her first bite of this.”   
  
“And after?”   
  
“Depends on where the conversation leads,” Nico evaded, “Nico gets more protective of that information the further your list went. We’re gonna sing while we’re here too, right?”   
  
“Depends on where the conversation leads,” Eli fired back with a grin, accepting Nico’s menu before walking to the phone.   
  
Nico and Nozomi both watched. Once Eli started to relay their order, Nico leaned across the table and whispered, “You’ve been looking pretty happy lately.”   
  
“I have been,” Nozomi serenely replied, “I wish I could say the same for you.”   
  
“That’s dangerously close to committing to a topic,” Nico advised with a smirk, “We’re talking about you and your long-awaited snuggle-buddy status. Any progress?”   
  
“Not everyone jumps straight to _that_ kind of snuggling, Nicocchi,” Nozomi answered dryly, “We’re taking things at our own pace.”   
  
“I’ve heard that one before,” Nico shot back playfully.   
  
“A new pace. I like this one better,” Nozomi admitted with a wink.   
  
“What do we like, now?” Eli asked, rejoining the party and sliding into Nozomi’s side.   
  
“Student Council Presidents learning that they can use their mouths for more than barking orders,” Nico teased as she waved the playlist book at Eli, “So, who we starting with? A little DDK? Looks like they’ve even got the new Ayumi single if you’ve been keeping up to date.”   
  
“Business first,” Eli pressed.   
  
Nico pouted, “Well, since idols are Nico’s life, that’d be personal. School is work, so that’d be business.”   
  
“And…?” Eli pressed again, gesturing for Nico to continue.   
  
“...Business could be better?”   
  
“How much better?”   
  
“How do you feel about outsourcing? I hear it’s a great way to keep costs down.”   
  
“Niccochi…” Nozomi groaned as she covered her face, “How bad is it?”   
  
“What? I’m not failing anything… yet… assuming the next few tests go well…”   
  
“So, what’s the bigger distraction for you? µ's or this thing with Maki?” Eli glowered, leaning in and fingers steepled under her chin.   
  
“Disinterest?” Nico groaned defensively, “I just… I really don’t care about that stuff. Nico can keep a beat, which is all the math she needs. Nico’s got rough working knowledge of Korean, English, Mandarin and Cantonese, so who cares what grades say about understanding what a preposition is… and Nico knows about idol history and the interlaced impact of specific groups, so who cares about who ruled where and when? It’s all just so _boring_ .”   
  
Before Eli could respond to that, Nico continued, “That doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do it. I _did_ make it to third year.”   
  
Eli powered in, “Back before you had an active idol group.”   
  
“Thanks for that reminder,” Nico growled before continuing, “ _So_ , what makes you think I’d risk messing this up?”   
  
“We just don’t want it to sneak up on you,” Nozomi soothed.   
  
“Especially when you’ve shown yourself to be so competent,” Eli added, “You’ve really surprised me lately.”   
  
“Impressed would have been a nicer way to say that,” Nico leveled, leaning heavily on a palm.   
  
“Maybe, but it’d be less honest,” Eli grinned, “What we’re getting at, is if you ever feel like you need help with your studies, don’t wait until the last minute.”   
  
“Message received,” Nico loosely saluted, “I’m guessing _you two_ are just stellar as far as that goes.”   
  
“Eliichi helps me with math.”   
  
“Nozomi helps me with English.”   
  
Nico blinked and switched to a heavily accented English to ask, “ _Our great Council President has trouble with English?_ ”   
  
Nozomi shot back with a clear and concise, “ _Eliichi speaks fluent Russian, German, and Japanese. She’s doing just fine.”_   
  
Eli tried to prove herself by adding an _exceedingly_ accented, “ _My English is very good! Very fine!”_   
  
“Of course it is, Eliichi,” Nozomi placated with a pat on her arm, clearly to keep her from breaking out what would have probably been some spectacular Engrish. It was cute enough that Nico had to force herself from giggling at the sight of Eli’s overly proud smile.

  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  


“I have no idea how you can play like that,” Maki commented from her end of the couch.  
  
“Lots of rainy day practice,” Rin replied, upside down with her legs resting on the couch backrest, “Momma kicks my butt no matter which way I sit.”   
  
Mrs. Hoshizora, who had taken a spot on the floor, grinned ferally as she declared, “Playing on this difficulty is really nostalgic. It’s like playing in slow motion.”   
  
If the past four Mario Kart circuits had proven anything, Rin’s mother was _clearly_ the best in the house, with Rin a… relatively close second, only managing to surpass when the items fell appropriately. Maki was catching on fairly quickly, given how Kayo-chin was the only one who bothered to explain any gameplay mechanics to her. Unfortunately, understanding wasn’t quite the same as having the coherency to make use of reflexes.   
  
“Sorry Rin-chan!~” Kayo-chin apologized playfully as she destroyed her girlfriend’s rare lead by letting loose one of those blue shiny doom shells.   
  
“Oh nyai God, is _that_ why you let me pass you!?” Rin whined as her mother began to cackle.   
  
Cute.   
  
“You should really try to incorporate more sliding,” Kayo-chin advised to Maki, her face partially obscured by Rin’s pouty kick-flailing.   
  
“Right… sliding…”   
  
“You don’t have to hold it for the spark every time, but it’s good to get in the habit.”   
  
“Nyehehehe~ but Maki-chan loooooves the wall!~”   
  
Maki spared a moment from pressing the accelerator to poke Rin’s exposed stomach in retaliation, earning a deeply satisfying gasp. Had to get those little victories in where she could.   


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  


“I can’t believe you’re going to eat that entire thing yourself,” Eli teased, despite her own sundae being just as extravagant.  
  
“Nico has a second stomach for sweets,” Nico bragged cheerily before dropping her tone to continue, “Plus, I skipped lunch.”   
  
“Nicocchi is dieting?”   
  
“Forgot t’bring it,” Nico pouted before wolfing down another bite.   
  
“I’m pretty sure anyone would have spotted you,” Eli advised.   
  
“Not very becoming for the club president to bum meals from her members,” Nico answered dismissively, “Plus I didn’t want to make a thing of it. Makes this taste _amazing_ though.”   
  
“Trade bites?” Nozomi offered, sliding her own berry-centric dessert closer.   
  
Nico slid hers across as well without answering and scooped a spoonful from the offered sundae. She didn’t take the spoon out of her mouth before making eyes at Eli’s, suggesting with her eyebrows. Vanilla didn’t deserve its reputation for being boring. Eli knew what was up. If it wasn’t for the strawberry explosion she’d’ve been all over that.   
  
“Look Eliichi, Nicocchi wants us all to share indirect kisses!” Nozomi marveled before taking on her own shared bite.   
  
“Oh, is that where this is all going?” Nico played along, “Eli, why didn’t you just say so? You need to be more upfront about things like this if you’re going to be in a relationship.”   
  
Eli looked like she was holding something back before settling on, “I accept all of Nozomi’s faults, even her weird on-going affair with you.”   
  
“Hear that Nozomi? Looks like we’re on for tonight.”   
  
“You’re sure Maki-chan wouldn’t get jealous?”   
  
Nico tried not to glower. She really did. Still, her self control seemed to be weak tonight as she paired scowl with a slipped, “Pretty sure she’d like to watch… maybe even join in.”   
  
Crap.   
  
Eli’s eyebrows flew up as she commented, “ _That_ didn’t sound good.”   
  
Nico groaned and consoled herself with another blissful strawberry bite.   
  
“Is Nicocchi getting jealous?”   
  
Nico ground out,” Nico. Doesn’t. Get. Jealous. Remember?”   
  
“That sounded kind of like jealousy,” Eli ‘helpfully’ commented.   
  
“I’m not,” Nico assured, “It’s just everyone seems to be flirting with her and I don’t see her shutting it down.”   
  
“Funny, I see her shutting pretty much _everyone_ down,” Eli mused.   
  
“Constantly,” Nozomi assured, “Especially Nicocchi during club time.”   
  
Nico smirked at that, “Yeah, she’s gotten pretty good at keeping us on the down-low, hasn’t she?”   
  
“Honestly? I keep wondering if there’s trouble between you,” Eli frowned as she poked at her sundae.   
  
“Nope. Not at all. The only trouble is time apart. We haven’t had time to get together since the Gala thing.”   
  
“Oh yeah, how _did_ that go?”   
  
Nico’s frown returned.   
  
“Good. Mostly. Seemed like only one person caught on, but it seemed fine. _Really_ good food.”   
  
“So her parents are alright with you two?” Eli continued, her curiosity clearly being set free. Nico knew it was her fault for spilling _any_ info… but she felt the need to vent.   
  
“They don’t know,” Nico shrugged theatrically, “As far as they’re aware, she’s chosen the path of academic purity. Chastely pursuing great grades with single-minded devotion in this garden of ladies where no boys may tempt her. That way she can save all of her ignored romantic tension for whatever lucky man her parents hook her up with after she’s been crowned grand… uh…  high.... doctery person from the swank school they’ll undoubtedly send her to.”   
  
Even more wide-eyed now, Eli asked, “She’s bi too? I always got the impression she wasn’t interested in guys.”   
  
“Pfft,” Nico pffed, “Not even a little. _That’ll_ be a conversation, I’m sure. What do you mean by ‘too’? I never told you I was bi.”   
  
“Oh. No. I am,” Eli answered casually.   
  
“Really?” Nozomi commented, surprised, “Interesting.”   
  
“Looks like we’re all learning something this evening,” Nico grinned, waving her spoon at the pair before digging back in.   
  
“I never told you?” Eli blinked, turning to Nozomi.   
  
“We might have ended up together much sooner if you had,” Nozomi replied in a decidedly frosty voice before returning to her sundae.   
  
Eli sank into the bench a little further, wincing at the tone, “I guess it just never came up?”   
  
“Half the school would like to have known that,” Nico chimed in before nodding to Nozomi, “Not that I was rooting for any of ‘em ‘cept you.”   
  
“You’re kidding,” Eli blanched.   
  
“She’s not,” Nozomi smirked.   
  
“ _Everyone_ is interested in you,” Nico droned.   
  
“You’re not!” Eli protested, a deep blush starting to settle in.   
  
“Says you,” Nico grinned, tapping her spoon a few more times on the table, “Just because I’ve been rooting for you two doesn’t mean _either_ of you were left out of consideration.”   
  
Nozomi cracked up at Eli’s flabbergasted silence, “You’re quite the catch, Eliichi~”   
  
“Nico never went there ‘cause she hadn’t learned that snuggle-buddies could be best friends too,” Nico shrugged, “Besides, I couldn’t just snipe you out from under Nozomi like that. She’s had it for you _bad_ since first year.”   
  
Clearly more interested in changing the topic, Eli chanced, “So Maki’s taken your best friend spot then?”   
  
Nico’s smile softened, “I… think so? I mean, you two are great. Don’t get Nico wrong. This talk wouldn’t be happening if we weren’t _tight_ . There’s just some things we stumbled into talking about that… solidified things. Fast.”   
  
Seemingly content with the admission, the pair resumed eating their now significantly softer sundaes. Nico took a deep breath and started back in on her own. Idly, she hoped Maki’s night would include at least a few hours of real sleep.

  


* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  


It was Maki’s turn to drop her pencil and groan, “I think I’m done with schoolwork for the night.”  
  
Rin looked up from her side of the table in surprise. Kayo-chin had headed home about an hour earlier and it was pretty clear that Rin assumed the rest of the night would be spent tucking into algebraic madness. It was probably confusing for her to see Maki be the one to call it in.   
  
“Really? You’re not even halfway through… How am I further along than you are, nya!?”   
  
Maki blew out a long breath, hoping for an excuse to come to her before her lungs ran out. She avoided rubbing her eyes, instead blinking extra hard as she confided in a voice she _hoped_ was convincingly blasé, “It’ll give me something to do in homeroom.”   
  
When Maki looked up, Rin looked less convinced than before. After a moment, the concerned girl asked, “You’re not going to get mad at me for stopping too, are you?”   
  
Maki blinked, frowning in confusion, “Why would I be _mad_ at you?”   
  
“I don’t know!” Rin exclaimed, arms high, “For being lazy or something!”   
  
Maki stared, certain she was missing _something_ but completely incapable of making the leap. Further below the surface, irritation surged as she numbly replied, “That would be hypocritical of me, wouldn’t it?”   
  
“Well… n’yeah…”   
  
Sleep-deprived lack of filter triumphed again as she glared and the irritation made an immediate leap to aggression. She asked, point blank, “Why the heck do you always assume the worst of me?”   
  
Rin recoiled and protested, “Wha!? No I don’t!”   
  
Maki slammed her book closed and leaned across the table to glare closer, “You do! You’re always glaring when I talk with Hanayo alone and you always assume I’m mad at you.”   
  
“You sound mad to me,” Rin grumbled defiantly.   
  
“Well I am _now_ ,” Maki growled, rubbing at her eyes, sore from trying to focus on blurred numbers, “I don’t get you! What is your problem with me?”   
  
“ _I_ don’t have a problem,” Rin bit back defensively. There was a moment where it looked like she was going to hold back, but she ended up bouldering forward with, “I just don’t ever know what you’re thinking! I can’t tell if you’re some snobby elitist that’s having fun picking on Kayo-chin an’ me or if you’re trying to steal her away from me!”   
  
Maki let out a spit-take without having drank anything, dragging her palms down her cheeks as she glared and incredulously replied, “ _Neither of those are right!_ What the heck!? What makes you think I’d try to split you two up? _How_ am I picking on you two!? Kayo-chin is my _friend._ I _like_ you two being together. I’m _trying_ to be friends with you, but you’ve got all these crazy ideas about me! _”_   
  
“Then why aren’t you ever honest about anything!?” Rin held her ground, “You’re always giving me a hard time about class stuff. You’re _always_ glaring and you’re always hiding stuff!”   
  
Maki growled, pulling at her hair as she pressed, “I’m trying to _help_ , I can’t help it if you think I’ve got passive bitch face, and _what_ do you think I’m _hiding!?”_ _  
_ _  
_ “Passive… I don’t… what?”   
  
“Leave it. What do you think I’m hiding, Rin? _Pretty_ sure you’re wrong. I’m too busy most of the time to play games like that.”   
  
“You and Kayo-chin are always whispering to each other… and then there’s the eye thing… which I don’t even know _what_ that’s about...”   
  
Maki’s glare narrowed, “ _What_ eye thing?”   
  
“I don’t know if you’re getting into fights after school, if it's your parents or what, but you keep getting black eyes! I’ve seen it three times now!”   
  
Maki groaned, face-desking onto the table a bit harder than was absolutely necessary, “Oh my god… where do you get these ideas from?”   
  
“You’ve got one now!”   
  
Still face-down, Maki groaned and blindly flopped her hand around looking for her phone, “I _always_ have those… and they’re not black eyes you moron.”   
  
“Hey! I am _not_ a-”   
  
“Get over here,” Maki interrupted, pulling up a quick medical-related image search before holding her phone up, “Look at these and educate yourself.”   
  
Maki felt the phone leave her hand, so she let it fall into her hair. She really was too tired for this… and this back-and-forth was just… somehow extra _extra_ exhausting. When Rin tapped her shoulder, Maki looked up to meet the girl’s very close, very scrutinizing gaze. The very thing she’d been trying to avoid after finding out her concealer had failed her.   
  
“... That doesn’t look anything like these pictures.”   
  
“Because those are black eyes. Which I don’t have,” Maki droned, starting to notice that the topic and tone weren’t the only things off about the conversation.   
  
“Your makeup stuff is smudged,” Rin persisted, brow furrowed, “Not much, but it’s darker than it should be.”   
  
“... You stopped doing the cat thing.”   
  
“I… Wha… Because I’m trying to be serious!”   
  
“So I’ve got your attention then? You’re listening?”   
  
Rin started to go through some sort of internalized conversation if her rapidly changing expressions suggested anything. If the cat realized the _other_ cat was out of the bag, then it didn’t make much sense to keep trying to cover it up. Maki interrupted that face-journey to ask, “Did you tell Kayo-chin anything?”   
  
“Huh?”   
  
“Ha.Na.Yo. Did you tell her about… this,” Maki asked, gesturing vaguely to her face.   
  
“No. Why?”   
  
“If you haven’t then _don’t_ . Okay? You’ve kept one secret of mine, right?”   
  
Rin blinked, clearly still too agitated to follow, so Maki filled in, “The liking girls thing. You _didn’t_ tell anyone did you?”   
  
“Oh!” Rin answered, nodding wide-eyed, “Of course I didn’t!”   
  
“ _Good_ ,” Maki stressed before resting her forehead on the table again and continuing, “Look. I have trouble sleeping. Sometimes I get more time out during lunch breaks than I do the night before. I use makeup to hide some seriously dark rings. I’m. Always. Tired.”   
  
“... Huh? Is that it!?” Rin asked, sounding utterly confused, “So… why don’t you just go to bed sooner?”   
  
“Because my brain won’t shut up,” Maki answered flatly, not moving, “Doesn’t matter when I go to bed. This has been going on for years.”   
  
“... Why does it have to be a big secret?”   
  
At this, Maki looked up, pinning Rin in place with a glare to answer, “It’s _embarrassing._ They’re _really_ dark rings, they’re ugly, and everyone thinks they’ve got advice I’ve never thought of before that they’d feel compelled to share. It’s embarrassing, it’s a pain, and I _don’t_ like talking about it.”   
  
Rin stared for a moment. Her brow furrowed again as she asked, “So… _that’s_ why you always look grouchy?”   
  
Maki returned the stare for a longer moment before resting her forehead on the table again. “Ugh…”   


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  


“Well, I’m going to need to get going. I imagine the two of you still have a lot of homework to do as well,” Eli announced as Nozomi and Nico wrapped up their applause. She _really_ belted out that one.   
  
“Oh yeah. Loads of it,” Nico grinned, looping an arm around Nozomi’s shoulders and wink-pointing Eli’s way to continue, “This was fun. You should treat us again sometime.”

“I’d be inclined, if we can catch you more often,” Eli agreed.   
  
“Nicocchi likes to be chased,” Nozomi advised, putting her hands in position to make suggestive grabby-hands.   
  
“You really gonna let her get away with this kind of thing, Eli? Keep your girlfriend under control!”   
  
Eli smirked, “I wouldn’t change anything about her,”   
  
Nico faked a grimace just long enough to roll her eyes and groan, “Tch... gaaaaay,” before grinning and squeezing Nozomi tighter to her side.   
  
“Yeah yeah, that’s enough out of you,” Eli smirked, walking up and offering Nozomi a hand to help her up.   
  
“Were you really going to have Maki over just to make sure she’s keeping up on _studying?_ ” Nico asked, mostly as an afterthought as she collected her things.   
  
“That, plus I don’t feel like I’ve really had the chance to bond with her.”   
  
“Eliichi’s said the same about most of the girls.”   
  
“Aww, did Eli join up so she could have more friends? You _seriously_ underestimate how many people would love to know you,” Nico dug in with a toothy grin, “Maybe we need some more team-building exercises that aren’t so work-focused…”   
  
“Nicocchi, are you suggesting we take it easy?”   
  
“Chemistry is really important in groups,” Nico shrugged before slinging her bag over her shoulder, “Maybe we should all start hanging out with one another more often. I know RinPana an’ I get on great, but I’m still not sure how to approach the second years…”   
  
“Stalking them and telling them to quit probably didn’t help with that,” Nozomi smirked.   
  
“Yeah… I’m still not sure what to make of Kotori as a person… and I’ve got _no_ clue how to even _start_ with Umi,” Nico admitted, hanging her head as she approached the door, “... and then there’s Honoka.”

“What’s wrong with Honoka?” Eli asked, reaching for the door.  
  
“She’s… a lot,” Nico answered vaguely, her expression pensive, “That’d take another hour to unpack.”   
  
“Next time, then,” Eli nodded. Nico offered her a weak smile in answer and stepped out into the hallway.   


 

* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  


“I’m just saying, nya,” Rin answered, knees to her chest before popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth, “It really seems like one of those rich person being over-dramatic things.”  
  
Maki frowned deeper at the screen in front of her. Partially because the level of physical trauma being dealt out and sustained by one person was _entirely_ unbelievable, partially because Rin’s dismissive tone felt _hella_ rude. She reached over and pulled a few kernels from Rin’s bowl and answered, “Seriously? You’re going with _that?_ There’s nothing _you_ get embarrassed by?”   
  
“Nyai… wouldn’t say that,” Rin hedged, eyes glued to the screen, “I guess I just don’t get this not sleeping thing. Like, can a person _really_ survive not sleeping for two nights in a row? I don’t think I could manage _one.”_ _  
_ _  
_ “You watch stuff like this and can still ask that?”   
  
“... this is a _movie_ ,” Rin helpfully pointed out.   
  
“... Just take my word for it. I haven’t gotten a good night in for the past… three nights?” Maki considered before taking a time out to munch her pilfered popcorn.   
  
“So why are you still up?” Rin stared, finally turning from the on-screen action, “If _I_ were you, I’d be trying to get to bed right nyaow.”   
  
Maki finished chewing before offering a shrug, “You said this was one of your favorite movies. I’m here to get to know you better. I can’t do that if I’m staring at the back of my eyelids all night.”   
  
Rin stared for a moment longer before grinning and quipping, “I think I figured out where you’re getting the sleep thing wrong, nya~”   
  
Maki smirked and threw her remaining popcorn at the other girl before settling back into the couch to watch as Rin tried to gasp dramatically, but ended up giggling instead.   


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  


“Well well. So that _was_ you.”   
  
Nico froze at the familiar voice, Eli and Nozomi taking a few more steps to realize she’d fallen behind. Nico turned slowly, taken completely off guard by the swell of anxiety that voice inspired.   
  
“Yazawa Nico… and if it isn’t Ayase and Toujou. Wow, this really takes me back,” wistfully commented a sharp-dressed woman as she continued emerging from the izakaya the trio was passing. She smoothed her skirt and brushed the ruddy auburn blade of hair framing the left of her face behind an ear and continued, “Do you have a moment? I’d _love_ to catch up.”   
  
“Nagisa,” Nico forced herself to respond. Inwardly, she grasped for her inner steel, doing her best to keep her voice level as she maintained unflinching eye-contact with the woman, “Eli. Nozomi. You two go on ahead.”   
  
“Nicocchi,” Nozomi began, but stopped when Nico half-turned to interrupt.   
  
“It’s fine.”   
  
“Aww,” Natsume pouted to the two taller third years while still maintaining a shark’s smile, “We’ll have to meet up some other time.”   
  
Then, it was clear that they no longer existed for the woman. Already dismissed, her eyes were on Nico’s. She raised her chin and asked, “Come on. Walk with me.”   
  
With all the fight and flight responses running through her heart, Nico felt a measure of confusion, a bit of irritation, and a smidge of pride as she settled on falling into step and commenting a neutral, “It’s been a while. You’re looking well.”   
  
“I’ve got to say, you are too,” Nagisa confidently chirped, “When I saw you with the Nishikino girl, it took me until you pulled out your Nico-Nii thing for me to recognize you.”   
  
“You know Maki?”   
  
“ _Everyone_ in the neighborhood knows the Nishikino. Can’t believe she ended up attending Otonokizaka of all places,” Nagisa breezily replied, “It’s the first time I’ve seen her looking like anything more than an animated doll, too. You close?”   
  
“ _Yeah_ ,” Nico answered with more force than she’d intended. She’d found her steel, but all it was doing was adding to her tension, “How did you end up in _that_ neighborhood?”   
  
“Got a pretty sweet O.L. gig going right now. That, paired with grandfather passing last year left the family fairly flushed.”   
  
“Your Dad’s side?”   
  
“Yeah,” Nagisa smirked, reaching into her purse and fishing out a cigarette, “Shitty old man. Finally did something right. You want one?”   
  
Nico frowned, “I don’t do that anymore.”   
  
“I guess you wouldn’t. Have to keep those pipes clean, don’t you?” Natsume mused as she lit up. After a pull, she continued, “After I saw you the other day, I looked you up. Muse, huh? Congratulations. You finally got a group together.”   
  
“Like I said,” Nico answered, uncomfortable with how much she seemed to know in advance, “I wasn’t giving up… and you _clearly_ haven’t lost your internet stalking skills.”   
  
Another drag, “Got us into some great shows, didn’t it? Seriously though, you girls look good. Sound good too. The maid outfit cracked me up though. Can’t believe you dragged Nishikino, Ice-Queen Ayase, and mousy little Toujou into the whole thing. Even got Nishikino on video with you. Really moving on up.”   
  
“Maki writes our music,” Nico explained, “She’s pretty incredible.”   
  
“Who’s the kid in the center? Was that Kousaka or Sonoda?”   
  
“Kousaka. Honoka.”   
  
Another drag. Another block. “Hey. Ditch the blazer and tie for a minute.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“We’re going in here. I’m going to buy you a drink, and you probably don’t want your uniform getting noticed.”   
  
“ _What?”_   


 

* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  


Rin dozed against the armrest as the movie hit it’s final act. Rin’s mother poked her head in to wish the pair goodnight, but ended up just winking Maki’s way and departing with a finger to her lips, hushing herself.  
  
Weird thing to feel jealous of, such casual dozing. Still, there wasn’t much movie left. Every step had been predictable, but the action had been insane. Not her favorite, but she could at least see what Rin had found so entertaining.   
  
Unfortunately, once Maki knew that she was likely the only person left awake in yet another ‘early-to-bed’ household, she found it difficult to keep her focus on the movie. Her own eyelids were getting heavy, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to get Rin back to her room. She didn’t want to try until the movie was over or risk Rin thinking she wasn’t interested.   
  
So she sat through it as her blinks grew longer and her ability to hold her head up proved increasingly inconsistent. She couldn’t help but think that she should snap a shot of Rin to send to Hanayo for her massive collection. Maybe one of herself to send Nico’s way.   
  
She hadn’t heard from her all night. She hadn’t even responded to yesterday’s texts.   
  
She wanted the smell of strawberries and brash bratty bragging… instead, she had sandalwood and explosions. Gunfire and snoring. It’d be funny if she didn’t feel so blasted.   
  
After a quick look around, she shucked her bra and staged a shot of what she hoped would look sleepy/sexy instead sloppy/schluppy. She snapped, sent it along with the comment ‘what year is it?’ and sent it off. Maybe she’d get lucky and get one in return.   


 

* * *

**Yazawa Nico**

  


“Much better,” Natsume crooned, settling into the two-person booth across from a very stiff Nico, “You still crazy about strawberries?”  
  
“I wouldn’t say ‘crazy’,” Nico managed, the surreality of the past few minutes starting to daze her, “ _What_ did you want to catch up about?”   
  
“I wanted to raise a glass to your success. That, and see how my cute ex has been,” Natsume drawled, flagging down one of the wait staff, “Two strawberry basil margaritas, please.”   
  
“Uhh…,” Nico protested as the waiter walked away, “I’m nowhere _near_ old enough.”   
  
“Please,” Natsume smirked, “Indulge me. You’ve grown quite a bit in the past few years. Let me take a few more of your firsts.”   
  
Nico grimaced, “What the hell, Nagisa…”   
  
“Aww, what happened to ‘senpai’... or even Natsu-chan?” Natsumi complained, though none of it reached her eyes, “You’ve finally hit the big time… or you will soon. No one at work can _believe_ your group actually made that video on your own. Not that they doubt you, but they’re _really_ impressed.”   
  
A chill ran through Nico as she chanced, “... Where do you work?”   
  
“Admin assistant at Doma Don, making my start up the ladder. Foot in the door and all that,” Natsumi waved off, “Word is, your girls may line up to be the force that could challenge A-RISE.”   
  
“Kind of early to suggest that,” Nico managed, a lump having formed in her throat, “I mean, Monster Girls are out there… OTEMO-YAN, girlish season... “   
  
“Yes yes,” Natsume nodded, “But the potential your group shows is absurd… you really pulled it off. What is all this? It’s not like you to be humble.”   
  
“I didn’t do it alone,” Nico defended, still thrown by the knowledge that her ex was working for one of the top publications idol groups could aspire to be covered in.   
  
“So you’re saying this is all Nakama power?” Natsume grinned, leaning on both palms and making no effort to hide her wandering eyes.   
  
It felt… it… it dragged up every old feeling of shame she’d felt about her body… all while thrilling that old self that had never received this level of interest from the woman. Above all… Nico felt an incredible guilt as she took in the physical similarities between Natsume and Maki. Uncommonly slender, sharp eyes, full lips, modest swells until you reached her hips which abandoned modesty for spectacular… Nico couldn’t help but wonder if this was part of why she’d made the leap so recklessly with a relative stranger…   
  
“Your drinks.”   
  
“Thank you… and thank _you,_ Yazawa Nico. For not giving up and giving the world something beautiful… regardless of how much help you had along the way.”   
  
Natsume lifted her glass. Heart clenched, Nico lifted her own. It was a toast that would be a shame to turn down.   
  
Sweet. A little tart. A hint of something different and new she assumed to be alcohol. She took another deeper pull, feeling for all the world that she should get up right away and run home. Dash to her room, dive under her covers and do her best to re-bury everything this encounter had unearthed.   
  
Then her phone buzzed. A text. From Maki-chan. A preview that showed a lot of shoulder in a dark space.   
  
Natsume’s eyes widened. She nearly choked on her drink as Nico rushed to turn her phone over. In a harsh excited whisper, the woman leaned in and asked, “No way. Was that... _You_ … and _Nishikino?_ Nico, are you _dating_ the _heiress?_ ”   
  
**_“No,”_ ** Nico whispered harshly, eyes wide as panic set her heart pounding, “Don’t be ridiculous… idols don’t date.”   
  
Natsume snorted, another mannerism she shared with Maki, “Don’t be ridiculous. _Of course_ they do… you know how much goes unreported because bribes work.”   
  
“I’ve just been coaching her on taking selfies. Seriously,” Nico scrambled, certain that Natsume could hear her pulse and smell the chill on her, “She’s gotten better, but she really sucked at the start.”   
  
“Sure,” Natsume grinned, toying with her straw, “Hell of a turn-around. Now _you’re_ the third year dating a first year kid. I bet she’s having _loads_ of fun with _you…_ ”   
  
Panic, fear, and now a kick of anger was clouding her vision. Nico took another sharp pull from her drink before answering, “We’re _all_ having fun. As _idols._ ”   
  
“Prove it,” Natsume grinned, leaning in for the kill, “Come home with me tonight.”   
  
The world froze. Nico froze. The only thing she could see or hear was this woman who was at the core of her insecurities continuing, “I always regretted not taking you up on your offer before. I could _more_ than make it up to you now. So… if you’re not tied down, then why not?”   
  
Nico felt her eyes betray her by letting tears slip. Harshly, she heard herself whisper, **“What?”** **  
** **  
** Natsume leaned back, taking another drink before answering, “You heard me. No strings attached. I just really want to make you sing, is all.”   
  
Nico stood, cold fury in her core. Tersely, she walked to Nagisa’s side and answered, “Thanks for the drink. If you want to hear Nico sing, there’s _plenty_ of that coming. Glad to hear we’ll have your future support.”   
  
“Cute, but come on Nico...”   
  
“There’s a lot I want to say right now,” Nico managed, bolstered by the pride that her voice remained even, “But I’ll keep this short. When you quit, you _hurt_ me. When we broke up, you hurt me worse. The past year and a half _haven’t_ been that great… and you’re _kind_ of at the core of why.”   
  
“So let me make it up to you,” Natsume drawled, clearly unmoved.   
  
“It’d take more than a cheap drink and a casual _fling_ to do _that_ ,” Nico answered flatly, “The offer’s appreciated, but I’ll have to decline. Like I said, I’m an idol now.”   
  
Natsume’s smile eased. For the first time, it felt honest. She raised her glass and answered, “Damn straight you are. Classy too. Can’t say I’m not disappointed though.”   
  
“Nico’s going to break a lot of hearts,” Nico replied, finally feeling anxiety wane as she thumped her chest with forced pride, “But don’t worry. I’ll patch them right back up on stage.”   
  
“You nerd,” Natsume laughed, “Really, I _am_ happy for you. I’ll see you around?”   
  
Nico smirked, “We’re gonna blow up so hard, you’ll see Nico _everywhere._ ”   
  
With that, Nico turned and walked away.   
  
She climbed the stairs to the ground level. She walked out onto the street. She rode the high of a long-fought victory until the shakiness of the encounter caught up to her. She hitched for a moment, pulled out her phone, and took several long deep breaths while looking at her gorgeous, sleepy, currently oblivious girlfriend.   
  
“Nicocchi…”   
  
Nico turned. Nozomi and Eli. Worried. They’d waited and followed.   
  
Nico re-locked her phone. Wordlessly, she walked to Nozomi and pressed her forehead into her shoulder, letting the two surround her. If she could share the stage with them… if they’d walk into those lights with her, she could trust them with this much.   


 

* * *

**Nishikino Maki**

  


The movie had ended. The television was off. Rin was still crashed on the couch beside her, looking much cozier now that she had a pillow and blanket. The idea was appealing, so Maki mimicked the position on her side. It was a pretty comfy couch, and the way Rin unconsciously tucked her feet by Maki’s legs to find warmth was surprisingly endearing.  
  
Her first year was turning out _so_ different than she’d imagined.   
  
The street lights cast new and interesting patterns on the ceiling that her sore eyes traced. There was a breeze that made the leaves dance and branches sway… and she was tired enough to mistake it for poetry. Despite the friction and turmoil, the evening felt like the last hitch before really clearing the dam between her and Rin.   
  
It felt… really nice.   
  
Her phone lit up by the armrest. Maki smiled lazily and slid it close enough to check the preview. Seeing it had a picture attached, she went for the unlock.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Your timing continues to impress. Nice angle. Good lighting. Lovely model you chose. (๑ゝڡ◕๑)   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Makes me wish you weren’t going to Umi’s tomorrow. ༶ඬ༝ඬ༶ When does Nico get her turn?   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** I had to get by with these two.   
  
The picture, taken by Nico with both hands, showed both of the other third-years smooshing their cheeks against hers with all three making goofy kissy-faces. It was _adorable_ and Maki immediately saved the picture as the ‘OGNicoNico2 is typing…’ advisement popped up.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** I hope you two didn’t rough each other up _too_ much.   
  
**OGNicoNico2:** Get some sleep, beautiful. I’ll see you in the morning.  <3   
  
Hurriedly, Maki tapped out [I’ll start trying in a moment. I appreciate the tuck-in. Hopefully we’ll be together soon.] She hit send, looked at the picture for a moment longer, locked her phone and nestled back into her pillow. Rin re-adjusted, Maki compensated, and soon joined her full-dive into slumberland.

 

 

 

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

 

The end of 2018 was... difficult. Sorry to everyone who was waiting for so long for here (and on the webcomic, if any of you are following Mastery).  
This chapter ended up getting so long that I had to chop it in half, as the girls just continued to do whatever they wanted. Even though the word count continued to skyrocket, I still didn't get all the content I was hoping for, so Umi's visit and all the stuff after will have to come in part 2. Also, this isn't the last we've seen of Nagisa Natsume. Nico is such a superstar, she keeps taking the center stage and gets all the super interesting development.  
  
Love Live related, but not connected to this story, I joined up on a few Secret Santa thingies, which consumed the little creation-time I had over the holidays.

The Nico/Maki and the Nozomi piece I made are probably most easily found on my Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/masterycomic (Yeah, I know... _Tumblr..._ )  
I was lucky enough to get some super cute gifts in return. 8coloursart sent me this adorable snuggle-piece at https://www.deviantart.com/8coloursart/art/Secret-Santa-778171135 and Uwumi over on School Idol Tomodachi made https://i.imgur.com/aFqEZ61.png which, despite looking like it was made in paint, is hella cute and is another thing that makes me question whether I need to be so finicky with smooth line-art.

 


End file.
